


Cancel My Reservation

by Huntress69



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: First Time, Fluff, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-09
Updated: 2013-03-09
Packaged: 2017-12-04 17:46:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/713369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress69/pseuds/Huntress69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My plot bunny come to life: <i>It's a cliche, but...Steve and Danny go to a police conference and due to a mix-up have to take a room with one bed, and of course there are no other rooms available.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Cancel My Reservation

**Author's Note:**

> 1) I gave Steve his own boat, because I felt like it. He should own one, shouldn't he?  
> 2) I never did find out how long the boat ride was from Honolulu to Maui, so I made it 4 hours.  
> 3) This fic was supposed to be 3,000 words tops and take place during one night, but it took on a life of its own - it went from one night to a long weekend.

**Disclaimer: I have been offered a job with the 5-0 squad as a file clerk and will also be working weekends as both Steve and Danny's official fluffer, plus I have received the rights to the sex videos they have made and am currently in negotiations with the porn channel to show said videos. How's that for a disclaimer?**

**************

**_ Thursday Afternoon - Arrival Time _ **

Danny had been invited to a police convention on Maui for the weekend and the Governor thought it would be a good idea if Steve joined him. The guests included cops from 14 states, including California, Oregon and Washington State; Danny and Steve were the sole representation for their state.

Steve had recently handed in his resignation to the Navy and had been given the rank of 'Commander' with the HPD; hence he needed to officially introduce himself as a police officer. Steve had balked about going, until Jameson gleefully informed him that if he refused, she'd see to it that he be forced to attend the police academy and have him directing traffic and writing tickets.

Steve agreed, and now it was Thursday afternoon and he found himself in the lobby of a hotel he didn't want to be at, with people he didn't want to meet, and to top it all off, he'd forgotten to bring his laptop so he couldn't catch up on his downloaded episodes of 'Orphan Black'. But on the bright side, at least his headache was ebbing.

Danny had spent the four hours on the boat complaining about Steve purposely throttling to speeds no human was meant to reach on water. That is when he wasn't ranting about being woken at the asscrack of dawn by a wide-awake Steve, his suitcase tossed in the back of Steve's truck and his body practically thrown into the front seat. Or bitching about no breakfast (although he did shut up when they got to the dock and Chin was waiting there with a large thermos of coffee and a bag of fresh malasadas) and no shower or shave. About the only time he had kept quiet was when Steve, in a moment of true friendship, blared a Springsteen music mix, which had a soothing effect on the cop.

When they arrived at the hotel he left it to Danny to check them in while he wandered around, his inner-SEAL wanting to make sure the area was safe. No problem there - he saw plenty of police officers. He knew who they were because they were **all** in uniform. On the positive side, he didn't have one, and he knew Danny hadn't brought his, so at least they would be comfortable. Then again, knowing Danny and how he felt about 'professionalism', Steve would be forced into buying a new suit, with tie. After ten minutes he went back inside and saw Danny at the reservations desk, and his partner didn't look happy. As he approached, he heard Danny's voice rising.

"There's gotta be a mistake," Danny insisted to the manager. "I booked the reservation myself and specifically asked for two rooms."

"I am sorry, Detective Williams, but there was obviously a mix-up and I cannot correct it," the man replied. "There are no other rooms available."

Something was wrong, that was for certain. "Is there a problem?"

"One room," Danny told him, clenching his fists. "They have us in one room. I know I booked two, but they only have one."

"Danny, there's nothing wrong with us sharing." Steve smiled. "We've been partners for two years now and I already know, from the nights you've crashed at my place, that you snore like a sick elephant. I can deal."

"No, Steve, you don't understand." Danny looked like he was going to cry.

Steve casually placed an arm around Danny's shoulders and walked him a few feet away to calm him down. "Danno, partner, we're grown men; we've spent hours in the Camaro on stake-out duty eating bean burritos - I know what your damn farts smell like." He snickered. "So sharing a room is no biggie, okay?" Steve went back to the front desk. "If it's the only room you have, we'll take it."

"Thank you," the manager nodded and rechecked his screen. "Apparently I spoke too soon - we have three rooms left. Would you like a Queen or a King?"

"Two Kings would be fine," Steve answered, "but Queens are good also."

"No sir, I meant it in the singular, not the plural."

"Excuse me?" Steve was certain he had heard wrong. "What was that?"

"A Queen or a King? The only rooms available have one bed."

"What?!" Steve's upper lip curled. "We need another room!"

"I thought there was nothing wrong with sharing?" Danny huffed.

"That was before I found out there was only one bed." Steve attempted to stare down the manager. "Two rooms, now."

"Ex-SEAL," Danny casually mentioned. "Can kill a man nine ways with a spoon; I'd do what he says."

The manager was non-plussed and pointed to himself. "Ex-Ranger and I know 11, plus 7 with a paper clip. I am neither intimidated nor impressed." He tapped a few keys on his computer. "Oh, look at that - since you've been arguing with me, we are down to one room, so a Queen it is." The manager slapped the key cards on the counter. "And before you ask, we're out of cots also, so you're stuck with each other. Now I am going on my break, so off with you." The man turned and walked into the back office, closing the door behind him.

Danny saw Steve reaching for his gun. "No, you may not kill the manager, at least until we check out. After that, you may fold, spindle and mutilate him."

Steve picked up one key card, muttering, "One room, one bed; I never should have resigned my commission. I could be home right now enjoying a six of Longboards."

"I hate you," Danny sneered as they entered the elevator.

"I didn't do anything."

"It doesn't matter; somehow this is your fault, it always is." 

Steve kept his mouth shut, knowing Danny was only venting. In reality, Steve had meant what he said - he didn't mind sharing with Danny, and a Queen was more than enough for them. It was only for three nights and he had spent longer lengths of time with men, and in closer quarters, when he was in the Navy.

**~~~~~~~~**

They entered the room and both were pleasantly surprised, both having expected a small room. As it was the room was massive, with a large bathroom, a nice-sized closet, and a balcony. 

Danny sighed as he saw the one bed and picked up the phone, requesting two more pillows, while Steve stepped out onto the balcony. He joined Steve a minute later, taking in the view. "All right, I admit it, I could get used to this kind of view."

"Does this mean we're no longer pineapple-infested?" Steve cracked.

"For now, yes." Danny couldn't help the smile. "It is kind of nice to get away from my apartment for a few days."

"You're always welcome to stay at my house, Danno; it's big enough and I know you enjoy peering into my refrigerator." Steve smiled shyly. "And if you're nice to me this weekend, I'll tell you where I hide the Pop-Tarts."

"And the Twinkies?"

"I don't like you that much."

Danny heard the knock, and when the female voice said she was bringing the extra pillows, he opened the door to let the chambermaid in.

The busty redhead entered and gave Danny the once over. "I'm Jennifer and I'll be servicing you - I mean your room - for the weekend."

Danny murmured, "Thank you, God," and eyed her right back. "I'm Detective Williams, but feel free to call me Danny, Daniel, Dan, or anything else you want."

She licked her upper lip. "Maybe I'll just call you...."

His phone chose that moment to ring and he glanced at the display, putting a finger up. "My daughter."

"Daughter?" she questioned, waiting for the word 'wife' next.

Danny knew that look. "I'm divorced," he happily told her.

"Then I'll wait," she said.

Danny walked into the bathroom to speak privately with Grace and that was when Steve came in from the balcony.

"Danno, what time do you want to eat dinner?" Steve noticed her standing there. "Who are you and where'd he go?"

"I'm Jennifer, I brought a few more pillows and towels, and his daughter called," she nodded to the bathroom, "and he went in there to talk."

"You've officially met my partner, then." Steve smiled at her. "Nice guy, babbles a bit, but I tolerate him."

Jennifer then seemed to notice the lone bed. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Didn't know what?" Steve noticed where her eyes went, repeated, in his head, the words he had used, and quickly amended himself. "No, you've got it all wrong. We're **police** partners, and we got stuck in one room." But he was too late; the damage had already been done. 

Jennifer sighed loudly. "Look, this is the 21st century and besides, all my years working in hotels I've seen it all. There is nothing to be ashamed of." She gave him a big grin. "I think it's sweet and I'll still give you extra special service."

Danny came back in. "Grace says to say hello and also that if you get me shot, she's going to use Turtle Wax on all your boards." He clearly leered at Jennifer. "So...."

"It's okay, Detective Williams, I'm liberal." She looked from one man to the other and placed the extra pillows on the bed. "Pity," she said as she left the room.

Danny glared at Steve. "What did you do to make her run away?"

"Nothing," Steve answered quietly, ready to return to the balcony and possibly jump.

"Freeze!" Danny said with a firm and menacing tone. "And turn around."

Steve did as he was told, staring at his feet. 

"Steven James McGarrett," Danny growled, "you look me in the eyes and repeat the word 'nothing'."

After two years Steve knew he was in trouble when Danny called him by his full name. He slowly raised his face and wondered yet again how Danny sometimes seemed seven inches taller as opposed to the other way around. "It was an accident, Danno, I swear." The look he continued to receive made him feel all of 12 - just how did Danny do that to him?

"What was an accident?" Danny looked panicked.

"She misunderstood me and I tried to correct it, but she thought I was lying."

"In English or even Pidgin, please."

"Since when do you speak Hawaiian slang?" Steve casually asked.

"Two years with you and I've learned." Danny was grinding his teeth. "Talk!"

Steve was clearly worried and took a step back, thankful Danny was smaller in height; that meant a shorter reach and Danny's fist wouldn't be able to clip his jaw. "I said you were my partner and she noticed the one bed and I reiterated police partners but by then it was too late."

"Wow, you got that all out in one breath." Danny took a step forward. "I'm going to kill you in your sleep."

Steve quickly pulled out his wallet and waved it around. "I'm buying dinner; anything you want." He opened it. "See, I brought my Visa **and** my Amex - steak, lobster tail, you can order **anything**."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Cristal."

"That's 400 bucks a bottle!"

"Do you like your spleen where it is?"

Steve forced a laugh. "What's a 400 dollar bottle of champagne between friends, right?"

"I want their wine; that goes for about 600." Danny opened his suitcase and took out his good suit (which made Steve wince - he was certain Danny hadn't brought one), various button downs, a few pairs of slacks, and, of course, some ties, hanging everything up. He then proceeded to put the rest of his clothing away in a drawer. "Steve, aren't you going to unpack?"

"Yeah, of course I am." Steve opened his suitcase and took out 2 pairs of Cargos, a pair of Levis, 2 pairs of cut-offs, 3 casual button-downs, 5 tee-shirts, 2 pair of sweatpants, 1 sweatshirt and a bathing suit.

"That's all you brought?" Danny looked the clothing over. "That's not acceptable."

"Well, sorry, **Mom** , that I didn't get your approval on my choice of attire." Steve picked up a black tee. "I even bought a new one for the weekend."

Danny rolled his eyes and nodded to Steve's duffel. "What's in there?"

Steve opened it, taking out 2 Beretta's, 1 Glock, 1 Ruger, and a Steyr. This was followed by numerous clips and a massive hunting knife. Lastly were three Kevlar vests - two black (one was obviously for Danny) and Steve's lone camo - plus two jars of camo paint and a bandana.

It took Danny a couple of minutes to form any words; he was too busy staring at the weapons. "Are you expecting a terrorist attack? And were you planning on carrying that around all weekend?"

"Always be prepared, Danno, and yes." Steve answered matter-of-factly. "And I have other stuff on the boat just in case."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "You brought C4, didn't you?"

"And a few grenades," Steve smiled. "Kono said the way our lives run we might need an arsenal."

Danny began to wave his arms about. "You...gun fetish...Rambo wannabe...." He finally poked Steve in the chest. "You are taking that duffel back to the boat and locking it away." Danny picked up the Steyr. "You do not need a machine gun!"

"Technically it's a submachine gun." Steve eyed his Jericho. "I'm keeping this one. Just. In. Case."

"Yes, one is good; I have one." Danny unholstered his HK P30. "See, all you need is one." He nodded to Steve's smaller duffel. "What's in there?"

"My personal stuff." Steve carried that one into the bathroom and Danny followed with his own bathroom items.

Danny unpacked his rather quickly - toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, razor and shaving cream.

Steve proceeded to take out the same - along with a few extra items. 

"Paul Mitchell hair care products?" Danny read the labels. " _ **'The Cream - A styling conditioner that helps shield locks from damaging UV rays'**_ ; _**'Super Charged Moisturizer - Boosts shine'**_ \- and it contains jojoba, whatever that is." He picked up another bottle. " ** _'Shampoo Three'_**? What happened to one and two?"

"They're not for my type of hair!" Steve snapped. 

Danny was in the midst of a full-fledged laughing fit as he picked up two tubes. " ** _'Neutrogena Deep Clean Sport Facial Cleanser'_** and **_'Sensitive Skin Oil-Free Moisturizer'_**? I always wondered how you made yourself so pretty and now I know your secret."

"Laugh now, Smurfette," Steve smirked, "but let's see who has better hair and skin in 20 years."

"Ooh, Smurfette." Danny grabbed his chest. "I'm wounded by your name-calling. And who's to say I'll still be around in 20 years? Or even 10?"

Steve took the tubes from Danny, a frown marring his face. "Yeah, that's true; you'll probably get promoted to Chief of Police or something eventually and leave me...I mean us - 5-0."

Danny didn't miss Steve's choice of the word 'me' and he hated it when Steve got bummed out. He knew his partner very well, thank you very much, and indistinct as he tried to be, the SEAL was clearly a bit rattled at the thought of Danny leaving. "Chief of Police? Moi? I don't think so. I thrive on the daily stress of possibly being shot, stabbed, pummeled and hit in the head with a frying pan."

"You can't blame the frying pan on me, Danno; you're the one who burst into that woman's kitchen without warning."

Danny continued. "And let's not forget, much as I would like to, getting thrown out of an airplane - at least you were able to grab a 'chute before we were tossed, although I won't forgive you for landing us in the middle of a nude beach. Plus there is the perk of getting fresh malasadas every morning." He shrugged. "Besides, if I go, Kono has nobody to pick on."

Steve perked up and smiled again. "Nobody rants like you either."

"I know; it's a gift." Danny pointed to the main room. "Now let's go take a nice walk to the boat so I can ensure all those weapons get put away."

**~~~~~~~~**

**_ Thursday Night - Meet, Greet, and Flee _ **

"Stop fidgeting," Danny said as they walked back toward the hotel. "The weapons are safe and secure; nobody is going to steal them. A digital lock and 2 padlocks are more than enough."

"If anybody tries to break in," Steve sniggered, "they're in for quite a surprise."

"How so?"

"I have it rigged so that if the padlocks are busted, and a thief tries to get into the digital lock, it will explode."

"WHAT?!"

"Don't panic, Danny; it's also set with a recording that they have two minutes to get off the boat."

"Oh, two whole minutes, I'm relieved." Danny rolled his eyes. "And what if they don't speak English?"

"The message repeats in 5 different languages, just in case." Steve couldn't help the slow grin that spread across his face. "Gotcha."

"What **did** you do to it?" Danny knew Steve had done something.

"I have it rigged with knock-out gas."

"Now that I believe."

They entered the hotel and went straight for food; they were both famished, and somehow managed to get a table in the already crowded restaurant.

"Can't we just eat in the room, Danny?" 

"No." Danny ordered them a Budweiser and a Longboard. "I should order the Cristal and break your credit card, but I won't, because you already know you screwed up." 

"Uh-oh," Steve murmured.

"What?" Danny's face fell. "Please don't tell me it's terrorists."

"Worse," Steve gritted his teeth, "your fellow police officers."

Danny turned and smiled at the two men approaching, then turned back to Steve. "They're yours now also, so play nice."

"Fine." Steve forced a smile. "Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams."

"Mike Fielding, Seattle PD," one of the men said, putting out his hand, "and this is my partner, Adam Caldwell."

"Mind if we join you?" Adam asked.

Steve opened his mouth, but being Danny could read his partner like a book, he quickly said, "Not at all," giving Steve 'the glare' again.

"Not a problem," Steve added, finishing his Longboard and waving the waiter over for another. "So, how are you enjoying it here?"

"It's okay, but a bit too much sun if you ask me," Mike told him. "How come you're not wearing your name badges?"

"Name badges?" Steve noticed the Seattle officers wearing them - they gave their name, rank and city. He shook his head. "No, Danny, I won't."

"Don't forget what Jameson said," Danny reminded him. "Think traffic tickets and a uniform."

"You were forced to come also, I take it," Adam said. "The boss tells you to come to these things, you obey."

"Obey?" Steve opened his mouth to retort, but instead 'oomphed' as Danny kicked him under the table. "Of course...obey."

Adam grinned across the room and waved at somebody.

Steve turned around to see two more cops coming over and he didn't look happy; he had wanted a private dinner with his partner.

Adam made the introductions. "Philip Jackson and Jacob Phiser, from Portland, meet Danny Williams and Steve McGrommet, from...where is it you're from?"

"It's **McGarrett** ," Steve stated, "and we're from Hawaii."

"Ah, local boys," Philip grinned, taking a seat. "Maybe you can give me a surfing lesson or two."

"Oh, I'll give you a surfing lesson, all right." Steve smiled like a predator. "I've been on boards since before I could walk."

"I see you're drinking one of those Longboards." Jacob nodded to Steve's bottle. "Are they any good?"

"I think so." Steve motioned the waiter over and ordered them a round. 

Adam and Philip seemed to enjoy them, but Jacob and Mike didn't.

"Tastes like piss water," Jacob sneered.

"Excuse me?" Steve felt insulted. 

"Uh, it's an acquired taste," Danny interjected.

When the waiter returned he took their orders. The other four ordered steaks, and Danny, smirking at Steve, ordered lobster tail.

Steve finally glanced up from his menu. "I'll have the 18 ounce sirloin and a baked potato."

"Butter and sour cream?" the waiter asked.

"Yes, please," Steve answered.

"He'll have broiled salmon and on his potato, butter substitute with no sour cream," Danny told the waiter, who left to place their orders. "Phipps said you need to bring that cholesterol level down, so they are both out."

"But I want butter." Steve pursed his lips, thinking for a moment. "How about one pat?"

"And have Phipps go on a rampage when you have your next set of blood tests?" Danny actually looked a bit spooked. "I don't think so. He says it's all my fault your eating habits have been corrupted." 

"Who's Phipps?" Adam asked.

"Our doctor," Steve explained, gleefully adding, "and he's good at removing bullets and stitching up knife wounds."

"You've been shot?" Jacob asked, seemingly surprised. 

Steve grew deep in thought for a moment. "Twice in the past...."

"Twice in the past year?!" Adam's eyes widened. 

"No, the past two months," Steve corrected, "and Danny - how many times for you, Danno?"

"Two times also," Danny said after a moment. "No, wait, three. I had you beat after that kidnapper shot me in the shoulder."

"Two, Danny," Steve told him. "You can't count Trilby; his bullet hit you by accident. We're tied for the fiscal quarter."

"I was still shot!" Danny snapped. 

"Oh please." Steve rolled his eyes. "The bullet didn't even go in - it grazed you; we're tied and that's that. And Chin said there's almost $500 in the pool that I'll go for three before June."

They continued with more small talk until dinner arrived and Steve stared at his bare baked potato with its side cup of margarine. "I'll have butter and sour cream," he told the waiter. 

The waiter turned to Danny.

"Butter and sour cream," Steve reiterated, almost growling, daring Danny to say something.

"Fine, but when your arteries harden, I'm not taking care of you."

Satisfied that he wouldn't be injured, the waiter went to get the sides for Steve.

"So, what kind of cars do you drive?" Jacob asked. "I've got an Avalon and Philip just got a new Prius."

"I drive a Focus," Adam smiled, "and Mike here, he drives a new Impala."

"I've got a Camaro," Steve told him. 

"No, **I** have a Camaro." Danny sighed. "I used to have a Mustang until it got blown up by an arms dealer seeking revenge on somebody who shall remain nameless. And you own some large truck."

"A Silverado, Danny, and you got to drive it last month the day your battery died." Steve was smiling again. "I'll stop driving the Camaro if that's what you want."

"I didn't say that, did I?"

"You implied it."

"You let him drive your car?" Adam asked. "I'm impressed."

"I don't let him," Danny sneered, "he just does."

"Grace likes it when I drive." Steve seemed proud. "She says you drive like an old man."

"Who's Grace?" Jacob asked.

"My girlfriend," Steve grinned.

"My daughter." Danny was ready to kill his partner.

"You date his daughter?" Adam asked. "How old is she?"

"She's 11 and for some reason she likes spending time with my partner," Danny told them, and then focused back on Steve. "And she thinks everyone should drive at warp speed, thanks to you. She also asked me why 'Steve doesn't get tickets when the police stop him,' and I'd like to know that myself."

"I just show them my ID, tell them Grace is in protective custody and that I have to get her to a safe house, and they go away."

"One day I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face." Danny glared at the sour cream and butter as it was brought.

"Okay, Danny, enough is enough - quit staring at my food."

"Steve, your cholesterol goes any higher, you'll have to get a shot."

Steve's face paled as he stared at the sour cream and he gave the waiter a wan smile. "I'll stick with the butter substitute."

"I take it you don't like shots," Adam smiled. "I don't like them much either."

"They hurt," Steve continued, "and Bittlebaum always gives them to me in the ass, just for spite."

"Bittlebaum?" Mike questioned them. "Is he another doctor?"

"Phipps' nurse," Danny told them, "and **I** get them in the ass for spite; she just likes looking at Steve's ass."

"I can't blame her," Steve shrugged. "I have a nice ass."

"Nothing wrong with your ego." Danny nodded to Steve's plate. "Eat your supper."

Steve ate a piece of his fish. "This has no flavor."

"Then don't eat it," Danny told him.

"Would you quit sounding like my mother?" Steve grabbed the pepper and drowned his fish in it.

"If I was your mother I'd have spanked you by now."

"Hand or paddle?" Steve teased.

Jacob began to choke and Steve smacked him on the back. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Jacob nodded, "and you guys have a warped sense of humor."

"Who's joking?" Danny replied. 

"Hawaii let's married couples work together as partners?" Jacob asked.

"We're not married," Danny said, shaking his head. "Why do people always ask us that?"

"Beats me, Danno," Steve wolfed down his salmon in three bites. "That was horrible."

They spent a couple of hours chit-chatting and every time Steve tried to get up, Danny grabbed the hem of his shirt and made it clear Steve wasn't leaving yet.

When Steve ordered the fourth round of beer, the waiter told him they were out of Longboards - that was the end of the evening for him. "Well, this has been nice and all, but I have things to take care of." He nodded to the other four men. "It was a pleasure meeting you." He fled the restaurant like a bat out of Hell.

"He's just tired," Danny explained, "and we'll see you tomorrow." He caught up with Steve at the elevator. "What is up with you?"

"I didn't like them." Steve stepped into the elevator. "They made fun of Longboards."

"Steve, they're an acquired taste, just like I said." They rode up the rest of the way in silence and Danny saw Jennifer as they got off the elevator. "Don't say a word; remember, there's a black market for kidneys."

Danny approached her, but before he could get a word out, Steve shouted, "Danno, sweetheart, my feet are aching. Please come rub them for me."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Jennifer sighed.

Danny stared daggers at his partner, but by the time he turned back to Jennifer, she was riding down the service elevator. "I'm going to kill him." Danny stalked to the room and looked for his key card, but realized he had left it in the room. He knocked, keeping his voice calm. "Steven, darling, open the door so I can maim you."

"NO!"

"Open the damn door!"

"Only if you promise not to hurt me, honey."

"I'll promise no such thing!"

"Then I'm not opening the door." Steve was smiling at the keycard Danny had left on the dresser. "If you give me your word I can keep my kidneys and spleen, I'll let you in."

Not wanting to spend the evening in the hall, Danny agreed. "Fine, you get to keep your body parts." The moment the door was open he charged in, but Steve fled to the bathroom - and locked the door. "Great, I have to go." With his own kidneys ready to burst, Danny made quick work picking the lock of the door, and yes, he was going to harm his partner, but Steve was already in the shower. "Why did you do that? I know you have a sadistic streak, but that was low." 

"I thought it was kinda funny." 

Danny finished up, washed his hands, and slowly opened the shower door while Steve was rinsing his hair. He turned the water to cold, heard Steve shriek and laughed as he left the bathroom.

Steve came out a few minutes later, toweling his hair. " **That** wasn't funny, Danny."

"I thought it was." Danny went in himself and showered, and when he came out, Steve had already commandeered the right side of the bed. "I want the right."

"Tough."

"But I sleep better on the right."

"You sleep by yourself, Danny; what's the difference?"

"How do you know I sleep alone?"

"I come to your house every morning driving **my** Silverado to drive us to work in **your** Camaro, that's how I know." But Steve did switch sides. "And be nice to me or I stop bringing fresh malasadas and Arabica for breakfast."

"Thank you," Danny slid under the blanket, "and I never said I didn't want you driving my car, did I? And **some** of us sleep alone because we don't have the option of calling a Naval Lieutenant when we're lonely."

"Catherine got engaged two months ago, and obviously not to me." Steve sighed. "She transferred to San Diego to be closer to him."

"I'm sorry," and Danny was, "and why didn't you tell me?"

"I did, Danny, but I guess you just didn't pay attention to me." 

Danny did remember Steve saying something about Catherine and San Diego, but he had only half-listened. "I really am sorry, Steve."

"Yeah," Steve murmured, "I'm sure you are." 

Danny didn't want to go to sleep with Steve angry at him, so he placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "I mean it; I know she meant a lot to you."

"Thanks, Danny." Steve smiled a little. "I'm sorry for, you know, Jennifer. I'll straighten everything out with her tomorrow, I promise."

Danny lay awake for quite some time after, thinking about it. Yes, he was sorry for Steve for losing his sometime lover. But no, he wasn't sorry that Catherine was gone. It wasn't that he disliked her, she was pretty cool, but when she wasn't around, Danny wasn't so lonely. Maybe it was childish, and selfish as well, but now he would have more time with Steve. 

Danny really liked having a best friend. He'd never really had one of those, just somebody to hang around with. His brothers really didn't count, they were his brothers and if they didn't want to be with him and he got bored, his mother always noticed and pretty much ordered them to spend time with him. Most of the boys he knew in school had picked on him because of his height; those that wanted to be buddies with him did it so they could get close to his sisters. 

But Steve was different; Steve liked him, no strings attached. 

It felt good, and Danny didn't want to lose that feeling.

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve had fallen into a light sleep when Danny began to toss. He attempted to steady his partner with an arm around Danny's mid-section, but Danny threw his arm off, mumbling incoherently.

Danny rolled onto his back, kicking the blanket off.

"Great," Steve mumbled to himself, "not only does he take up 2/3 of the bed he tosses the blanket on the floor." He slid to the end and bent down, picking up the blanket, and then turned back.

With the moonlight streaming in, Steve clearly saw that Danny had his hand in the fly of his pajama bottoms.

'Please Danny, don't do that,' Steve thought.

But of course Danny couldn't hear Steve's thoughts and pulled his cock out of the fly, his fist wrapped around it.

'I didn't need this.' Steve ran his fingers through his hair, debating if he should wake Danny up. 'No, Steve, you can't do that; you'd embarrass the hell out of him.' 

Danny began to jerk himself off, slow at first, but he picked up the pace after a few minutes, arching his hips and moaning in his sleep.

Steve found himself staring, he couldn't help it. Danny was quite well-endowed, bigger than some guys Steve had seen in porno films. His own cock was swelling and he ordered it to behave, but of course it didn't listen. So Steve did the only thing he could do - he went to the bathroom and shut the door, took his hard-on out of his sweatpants and beat off. He pictured Catherine in his head, just like he had every night for the past two months, but for some reason that was doing him no good. He thought about one of his favorite female porno stars and still no relief, so he then switched to a favorite male - he was still hard as a rock. He heard Danny's moans growing louder, murmurings of "Yes - yes," and stroked himself to those sounds, a clear picture of Danny in his mind.

That did it - in 30 seconds flat.

"Not Danny," Steve said aloud, his hand dripping with his come. "Please, not Danny." It wasn't that he found Danny unattractive, far from it. Danny was cute and fun; he had awesome biceps, adorable baby blues and a wicked sense of humor. But Steve had to work with the man every day and he knew, from a couple of flings in the SEALs, that the proverbial 'office romances' didn't work. 

His life had just become even more fucked up then it already was.

He heard the moaning cease, heard a mumbled, "Oh shit," and figured Danny had woken up. Bracing himself, Steve washed up and exited the bathroom, finding Danny sitting on the end of the bed. "You okay, Danno?"

"Uh, yeah. Did I, er, wake you up?"

"No, I was - busy." Steve pointed to the bathroom.

"That's good," Danny said, quickly amending himself with, "I mean, are you okay?"

"Fine, just - fine." Steve got back into bed. "Good night again, Danno."

"G'night, Steve." Danny went to the bathroom and shut the door, happy that he hadn't been talking in his sleep, which sometimes happened. That was all he needed, to say Steve's name while he'd been jerking off. 'Why were you dreaming about Steve?' Danny was still hard from his wet dream and he so needed to get relief.

Bracing his left palm against the wall, Danny leaned forward, bowed his head, and took his cock in his right fist. All he wanted was to crawl back into that dream - _Steve with his bare ass in the air, begging for it, begging for Danny to fuck him raw. Danny obliging and thrusting his cock inside with deep and hard thrusts, making Steve howl in pleasure_ \- Danny was so far gone he came quick, biting his lip to silence his moans. 

The thought of Steve bottoming for him was almost too much; the rush of his orgasm with that vision in his head made him light-headed. He had to literally catch his breath. Taking a couple of minutes to calm down, he cleaned himself and stared into the mirror. 'Best friends only become lovers in the movies. And never best **male** friends. And no, Danno, Steve is never going to love you that way....' Danny's head snapped up. "No, you did not just associate the word love with one Commander Steven James McGarrett." He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth when he realized he had whispered the words aloud. 

**SHITFUCKJESUSCHRIST!! NONONO!** \- Danny Williams was hit upside the head with the proverbial 2x4 - he was in love with his partner. How did that happen? And a more important question - how did Danny miss it?

Danny found Steve lovely to look at, but then again, so did most people. But Steve was more than just a 'pretty face' - he had layers, many layers, and Danny had stripped all of them away in the past two years. Steve treated him as an equal, he always had, respected him and took care of him when he was injured, and Danny did the same for him without a second thought. Steve had even taken care of Grace when Stan and Rachel were out of town and Danny had come down with a bout of the flu. He had insisted they both stay at his house so Grace wouldn't be bored, taken her surfing and to the mall, just so Danny could rest.

Steve was a good man, the best friend anyone could ever have and Danny didn't want to screw up that friendship. 'God, could my life get any more insane?' He went back to the bedroom and as he slid into bed beside Steve, he swallowed hard. 

How was he going to spend the entire weekend sharing a bed with him?

**~~~~~~~~**

**_ Friday Morning - Steve acts 10 and Danny pretends to be a grown-up _ **

"I wanna go home," Steve whined, pulling the covers over his head. "I miss my bed."

"It's 8am and I thought all you Army Rangers," Danny couldn't resist, "got up at the crack of dawn?"

"Navy, Danny!" Steve peered out from the blanket. "SEAL, not a pussy Ranger!" He hid under again.

Danny grasped the edge of the covers; Steve held them tighter. "Let go of the blanket, Steven, and get up; the day awaits."

Steve tried to burrow down deeper. 

"I don't need x-ray vision to see that pout; you cannot revert to 10 and refuse to go. I've let you get away with it twice in the past and both times I caught hell from Jameson." Danny sat next to him and pulled at the covers; Steve pulled the blanket up tighter. "Why do you always act like a child when you don't get your own way?"

"Because!" Steve's voice was slightly muffled.

"Steve, stop playin' games and let go!"

"I'll feed you 'Surf 'n Turf' for the next month; I'll give you a refrigerator and a microwave for your office." Steve peered out again. "I'll clean your apartment and do your laundry for you."

"You're going to feed it to me anyway, the 'fridge and microwave should be delivered next Wednesday, you're not touching my apartment, and you've been doing my laundry for the past six months." Danny was fed up and yanked the blanket down. "Little Steven is going to play nice with his fellow police officers."

"Not so little," Steve murmured under his breath - and GODDAMIT! - his dick took notice when Danny called him 'Steven'. "I don't feel good; I think I should stay in bed." He made a big production of holding his stomach and lying on his side. If he turned over Danny would see how hard he was - not to mention the wet spot already forming on the front of his sweatpants. "I have a stomach ache."

"Bullshit!" Danny snapped, pulling the covers all the way off. "You're going to suck it up and be a friendly guy to everybody today!" 

Steve's reaction was to pull a pillow over his head. "You're being mean, Danny." 

"I was wrong - you're not acting 10, you're more like 6." Danny pulled the pillow away and hit Steve with it. "Get your ass out of bed, Steven!"

Steve sat up, his back to Danny, doing his best to hide his erection. 

"Yes, I am the meanest partner in existence." Danny heard the knock at the door and opened it, revealing room service. The young man put the tray down, and grinned at the hefty tip Danny gave him - on Steve's Visa, of course. Danny waved his hand over the trays. "Blueberry pancakes with 3 eggs, hash browns, sausages, an English muffin with butter," he pointed to the tall cup, "and one large Jamaican Blue Mountain."

While Danny was uncovering the food, Steve took the opportunity to grab fresh underwear and his cargos and get washed up - and hide his slightly come-stained sweatpants while he was at it. Danny's use of 'Steven' used to just make him feel all warm inside, but after his epiphany the night before, and considering Danny as a potential lover, (and yes, that's what Steve was doing in his head) it got him hard as a rock. And Steve hadn't come in his pants since...come to think of it, he realized he had never come in his pants, always exercising control, staving it off when necessary. How the hell was he losing it with Danny? Quickly regaining his composure he exited the bathroom and put on a tee, sitting down opposite Danny. "Wow, you're not wearing a tie." And yes, Steve's dick took notice of that also.

"That's because I am wearing a tee-shirt."

"Uh, yeah, I see that." And if Steve's dick got any harder it was going to drill a hole in his pants.

Danny had all the plates in front of him, stuffed his mouth full of pancakes, turned around, grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and set it in front of Steve. He picked up a piece of paper, smiled at Steve, and read it. "'Breakfast: 1 bowl of oatmeal or plain cereal such as Rice Krispies and Cheerios.' And since I know you're not overly fond of cereal, oatmeal it is." He drowned a sausage link in syrup and ate it, licking his lips. "Fresh fruit and an English muffin," Danny placed them in front of Steve, "and tea." He held out the mug.

"What is this?" Steve pointed at his plate. "You get all that crap and I get - this."

"Because Phipps did not put **me** on a healthier diet." Danny handed the paper to Steve. "His menu, not mine."

"I want pancakes." Steve reached for Danny's plate, but it was snatched away.

"No."

"You pervert my diet and I'm the one who suffers." Steve stirred his oatmeal. "I hate oatmeal."

"Pervert, yes, of course I did, that's why **my** test results came back at healthy levels, right?" Danny drowned his hash browns in syrup and ate a forkful. "So eat your breakfast like a good boy and maybe I'll let you have cheese on your sandwich at lunch."

"You won't have to, Danny, because I will have died by starvation long before then." Steve grabbed the pancakes. "If you attempt to take this plate away, I will kill you." Steve stuffed some into his mouth. "Since when do I do your laundry?" He brought his fork to the last sausage and threatened to stab Danny's hand with it if Danny touched it.

"Since I started bringing Grace over on Saturday mornings. I told you it was Laundromat day for me and you said I should use your washing machine because it was free." Danny gave in and began to eat the oatmeal. "Then you said you only had half a load and dumped mine in. This, Steven, has been going on every Saturday morning for 6 months."

If Danny called him 'Steven' one more time Steve was going to jump him and damn the consequences of his actions. He picked up the brochure regarding the weekend and finally went over it, his face lighting up. "There are weapons?"

"Yes, there are," Danny nodded. "I was saving it as a surprise. New tactical weapons on display and there are some you even get to test out." He paused, smirking at his partner. "There might even be knives and I know how much you enjoy playing with sharp objects." 

Steve jumped out of his chair and changed into shorts and a jersey, bouncing around like Tigger - who also happened to be on his shirt. 

"Tigger?" Danny stared at the shirt.

"What about him?"

"Nothing," Danny shrugged. "On you it works." As he watched Steve practically vibrate out the door he softly sighed - Steve McGarrett happy as a kid at Christmas. It made him feel all mushy inside.

God, he had it bad.

**~~~~~~~~**

"Knives, Danny." Steve picked one up and tossed in his hand, balancing it in his palm and poking the tip. "And they **are** sharp."

"Would you quit that?!" Danny snatched the knife. "You look like you're having an orgasm."

"And how would you know what I looked like in the throes of passion?" Steve teased. "Hmm?"

Danny was at a loss for words on that subject, so instead he deflected it. "There are always side bets at these things and since nobody knows you're a SEAL, and know everything about weapons, we could make out like bandits."

"That's cheating." Steve purposely looked shocked. "And how could they not know?"

"Because I don't think they had time to delve into your personnel file, that's why."

Steve narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "And why should I help you cheat?"

"Because Grace needs a new surfboard!" 

"You're buying your daughter - **YOUR** daughter - a surfboard?"

"Kono said she outgrew the kiddie one and Grace loves to surf and I can't not get one for her."

"A good one doesn't come cheap," Steve pointed out.

"I know, and that's why we have to hide your secret Ninja identity - so Papa Danno can buy his baby girl a new board."

"Okay, Danny, but only because it's for Grace," Steve agreed. 

First up were indeed the knives and the object was to throw five each and come as close to the center of the target as you could.

Being that police officers didn't do that as a norm, only two actually embedded any of them in the target, and then it was Steve's turn.

Steve threw the knife and of course hit the target dead on. 

Danny collected 20 bucks.

"Lucky shot!" came a shout.

Steve picked up another knife and threw it and it landed above the first, then followed with a third, placing it directly below.

"Told you he'd miss, Williams."

Steve turned to Danny and smirked, picked up two and threw them - they both landed to the left and right of the one in the center.

"He never misses." Danny collected his winnings. "I see the guns are up next."

"How did he do that?" An officer asked as he paid Danny.

"It's a SEA, er, surfer thing," Danny snickered, collecting close to $50. He had to watch what he said; if they found out Steve was a SEAL, all bets were off. On the pistol range, Danny hit the targets dead center - four times in succession. 

This time it was Steve who collected from quite a few officers. "We at 5-0 are known for our accuracy." He then went to the next gun activity and put together an M16A2 in 57 seconds - with a blindfold. That was a new record and Danny pocketed $70. 

Steve tried to walk off with the M16A4 and was downcast when he found out **that** model wasn't cleared for civilian police personnel. But he was happy when he discovered that military personnel could obtain them. He still had buddies in NI and he would add one to his collection ASAP.

There were more activities, but even Steve had to lose at something and the obstacle course was the last thing Danny thought of - Steve coming in second in his group had cost Danny $130. 

Danny fared worse on the same course, and came in fourth, which gave his ego quite a bruising. It didn't help any that the three that beat him were all younger.

To everyone else Danny's 'bruising' was invisible, but not to Steve. He would have to find some way to make Danny feel better; that was his job. Grace had told him so one day and if Grace told him something about Danny, Steve took it as gospel.

There were more activities and Steve was back at the top of his game, while Danny watched with pride - and won each and every side bet. 

Danny managed to avoid the rest of the physical activities, claiming his ACL was acting up, but in truth he was still dejected over his loss at the obstacle course.

They then came to the final course, which was not as simple as it seemed.

Danny pulled Steve aside, looking a bit worried. "Please tell me you know how to use a bow and arrow."

"Why?" Steve asked, a little wary of his partner.

"Because I have $100 on it," Danny admitted. "I take this bet I have the $378 for the board."

"I don't know, Danno, it's not like the Navy trained me for this."

"Maybe the surf shop will take a down payment," Danny muttered.

"I'll do my best." Steve was up fifth in the group and apparently there were others who could use them. When it came to his turn, he purposely fumbled with it, shrugged at everyone with a small smile and waited until Danny had taken on a few bets. He then winked at Danny, pulled back the bowstring and let the arrow fly - he not only hit the target dead center, he split the arrow that was already there.

"Who is he? Robin Hood?" An officer whined as he forked over $20 to Danny.

Danny didn't say a word and collected the rest of his winnings, ambling over to Steve. "So you never learned about primitive weapons, huh?"

"Danno, if you'll recall, I said the **Navy** never trained me to use a bow and arrow - the SEAL's did." Steve smiled shyly. "I liked watching you squirm."

"I detest you." 

"Of course you do."

There was an announcement made that there would be a gathering in the hotel auditorium in two hours and all personnel were welcome to attend. Dress was announced as "proper dinner wear" as following that, dinner would be served and many of the police officers could get to know one another.

As they walked back into the lobby, Steve was smirking. He didn't have a suit, so he was happy again. He was headed straight for the elevator when his arm was grabbed.

"You need a suit," Danny said, dragging Steve to the hotel shop.

"I knew it," Steve began to grind his teeth, "and I don't need one," he insisted. "I have a black one at home, which is just fine for weddings, funerals, Bar Mitzvahs, meetings with the Governor and Heads of State - it's good for any occasion."

"Well you don't have it here and you need one for dinner this evening, so you're buying one."

"I'm not buying a suit, Danny and that's final!" But Steve knew he had lost the battle the moment he was following Danny into the store. Of course he did, and if he would have taken a moment to think about it, he would have realized that he did (almost) anything Danny told him to do - when it didn't involve a case. And 25 minutes later, still bitching, he was walking out of the store with a navy blue suit, complete with shirt and tie. 

Danny walked out with the promise for drinks later that evening from Alison, the sales clerk.

And just why did Steve verbalize an almost audible growl as she and Danny leered at each other? He couldn't figure it out himself; Danny wasn't his, and if Danny wanted to make a date that was his business, not Steve's. 

**~~~~~~~~**

**_ Friday Evening - Steve channels Danny and babbles & Danny nearly has an aneurysm _ **

They entered the room and Steve tossed the suit bag on the bed; Danny hung it up. 

"I'm not going," Steve grumbled as he lay down on the bed and turned on the TV. "I have to - I have to watch the _Doctor Who_ marathon." He pointed to the screen. "I need my Amy Pond fix."

"I have all the episodes downloaded and you can watch them when we get home." Danny nodded to the bathroom. "I am going to go first, and then it's your turn." He peeled off his clothing and being his back was to Steve, he didn't notice that Steve was staring at him. 

"Not going to happen, Steven," Steve muttered to himself after Danny entered the bathroom, "so give it up." He turned over and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift for a few minutes - just a brief daydream....

_Steve gets up and walks to the bathroom. He watches Danny moving the cloth over his body and opens the shower door, stepping in behind him. "Need some help with that?"_

_Danny turns his head, holding out the cloth. "Can you get my back?"_

_"Sure thing, Danno." Steve takes the cloth and lathers it with soap. "Where should I start?"_

_Danny braces his palms against the shower wall. "My shoulders, then my back, and after, wherever you want."_

_Steve begins at the right shoulder, massaging the cloth into the tight muscles, and then moves across to the nape of Danny's neck and then on to the left shoulder. He slides the cloth down Danny's back, paying close attention to his hips, feeling Danny shudder at his touch. "Is this all right?" Steve doesn't wait for an answer, the wet cloth circling Danny's taut ass, slipping between the folds of his cheeks. With the cloth around his index finger he slides it inside. "You're tight, Danno, and I love a tight ass."_

_"Do you now, Steven?" Danny reaches back and takes the cloth, tossing it aside. "Why don't you clean it with your tongue?"_

_"Okay." Steve drops to his knees and spreads Danny, placing a kiss to the center. His tongue swipes along the crack a few times before finding its way inside. "Like that?"_

_"Just like that, Steven." Danny grabs him by the hair and presses his mouth down harder. "Mmm, yeah, nothing like a good rimming."_

_Steve buries his face in Danny's ass, licking him out, moaning as Danny forces him and whimpers as Danny yanks his head back. "It wasn't good?"_

_Danny turns around. "Oh no, it was very good, Steven, but I think your mouth is better suited for my cock." He takes his cock in hand. "That is what you want, isn't it? To suck me?"_

_"Yes, please." Steve moves forward and kisses the tip. "I need to taste you, Danno; I need you to fuck my mouth."_

_"I need that also, Steven...."_

Steve moaned as fantasy-Danny called him 'Steven', but then he heard the shower go off, which ended his little daydream. He pulled the sheet over himself, turning over, thinking that if Danny thought he was asleep he could avoid any more interactions with his "fellow police officers." He didn't realize how tired he actually was, and quickly drifted off.

Danny saw Steve with his eyes closed and immediately thought his partner was faking it, until he poked Steve in the shoulder and Steve didn't move. "All right," he murmured, "you get a little while to sleep." He sat outside on the balcony, enjoying the view once again, but then delved into a crossword puzzle. He was about halfway done when he heard groaning from inside. Walking in he realized Steve was mumbling in his sleep. It was obvious he was dreaming, and it wasn't pleasant. Danny heard the muttered, "Dad," and had some idea of what Steve was dreaming about. But when Steve began to make crying sounds in his sleep, Danny's heart broke. He lay down and stroked Steve's hair, whispering, "Shh, it's okay." He didn't even realize his arm had opened until he felt Steve's head resting against his chest, Steve's arm flung over his body, holding on. "I'm here, you're safe." Steve stilled and his breathing evened out, snuggling close to Danny, which made Danny feel good inside again, but at the same time it depressed him. Steve was in this position not because he wanted Danny's touch, but because he needed comfort. The odds were Steve would have reacted the same to anyone holding him at that moment.

Steve lay there for about 40 minutes, finally rousing. He noticed his position and stared up at Danny. "Dan?"

"Dreaming about Hesse?" Danny asked, although he already knew the answer.

"How did you know?"

"You were crying in your sleep and asking for your father," Danny told him.

"I should have killed that psycho when I had the chance." Steve sat up, rubbing his eyes. 

"Yeah, but then I'd have to arrest you, and hearing 'Book me, Danno' just doesn't have the right ring to it." Danny nodded to the bathroom. "Shower and shave so we can get going."

Steve reluctantly did as he was told yet again and when he re-entered the room, Danny had his suit all lain out. He put it on, all the while making various faces. "I really don't want to go, Danny." Steve was now frowning and it wasn't a fake. "Please tell them I'm sick."

"Come here." Danny did Steve's tie for him. "You've got a brand new suit, which looks very good, I might add, and you took a shave...." He paused, actually considering letting Steve bail - the man looked downright gloomy. "Steve, I don't want to go alone; I need some company. We'll be miserable together."

Steve looked in the mirror. "I look stupid; I don't even look like myself."

"Again you sound 10, and much as it pains me, I will make a concession." Danny took off Steve's tie and undid the top button. "Better now?"

"No." 

"Tough, because you're not going in board shorts and a tee."

"I didn't bring board shorts."

"It's a figure of speech, you uncouth buffoon."

"You're calling me names."

"I want you to feel like we're home."

"I know and I appreciate it, Danno."

Danny placed his hands on Steve's chest.

Steve felt his cock twitch quite violently at Danny's touch.

All Danny did was smooth out the fabric of Steve's jacket and straighten his collar. "You look good, Steve."

Steve fixed Danny's tie. "It was crooked and we don't want you looking unprofessional, do we?"

"I never look **unprofessional** ," Danny stated, staring at himself proudly in the mirror.

'I think you're adorable,' Steve thought, careful not to let the words escape from his mouth. 

"What?" Danny asked, meeting Steve's stare in the mirror. "It's a new suit; does it look that bad?"

"No! No, Danno, I was just thinking about something else; the suit looks great." Steve took the edge of the tie in his hand. "Maybe you can go without a tie?" He asked hopefully.

"You don't do a Hugo Boss suit without a tie," Danny smirked as he headed for the door.

"How did you afford a Hugo Boss?" Steve asked as they entered the hallway. "I know what you earn."

"I can't afford it," Danny snickered as they got on to the elevator, "but Jameson did say to requisition anything we might need."

"I never signed off on an $800 suit," Steve insisted. "I think I would remember that."

"Yes you did," Danny nodded as if Steve had grown senile, "along with new refrigerators, the microwave I mentioned earlier, an iPad for Chin and a new surfboard for Kono, because I felt like it."

"I see." Steve followed his partner off the elevator to the auditorium, the two signing in and taking seats in the rear. "And whose pen signed the name 'Steven J. McGarrett' on said requisition form?"

"Mine, but that's a technicality."

"You forge my name on official forms?"

"I certainly do," Danny replied quite nonchalantly.

"I wondered why we were getting more deliveries than usual." 

"You never questioned how we all have those cool Gel pens instead of crappy ballpoints? Neon Post-Its in all shapes and sizes instead of pale yellow squares? Imported coffee beans straight from Jamaica and Kenya? Cable TV and a DVR in the conference room?"

Steve blinked at him. "We have a DVR in there?"

Danny rolled his eyes; of course the DVR would have gotten Steve's attention. "You don't even know what goes on in your own squad, do you, Steve? So much for any detective skills."

Before he could answer, Steve was tapped on the shoulder and turned, facing an officer.

"Commander McGarrett, would you come with me please?"

Steve just shrugged and stood up.

"Where are you taking him?" Danny demanded to know.

His fellow officer eyed him strangely. "Relax, Detective Williams; names were drawn at random for participation and Commander McGarrett was one of them."

Danny was both aghast and terrified at that thought and pulled Steve back to his seat. "Steve doesn't want to do that."

"Oh yes I do, Danny," Steve grinned, "it'll be fun and you did say that I should play nice." He sprang to his feet and went down the aisle to the podium, introducing himself to the other man there. "Steve McGarrett and I'm from Hawaii." 

"Miles Fleming, Tucson."

The mediator introduced them to the audience. "This is an exercise in role-play, where each of you will take a turn at being the arresting officer and the perpetrator."

'Oh God,' Danny suddenly took notice, shaking his head, 'anything but that.'

Steve and Miles both agreed and Steve was chosen to be the suspect first.

Miles paced for a moment, finally stilling and staring at Steve. "You have the right to remain silent."

Steve countered with, "So does this mean you're going to do all the talking?"

"If you give up that right, everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"I'm not wearing any underwear; will you say that in court?"

The entire room burst out laughing - except for Danny, who wanted to vanish into thin air.

Miles grew wide-eyed, but regained his composure. "You have the right to an attorney, and if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you."

Steve stretched his legs out, relaxing. "I'm a career criminal; I have one on speed dial."

Miles got in his face. "Do you understand these rights as I've explained them?"

"I speak English, you speak English, so yeah, I'd have to say I understand them."

Miles stepped back. "That's Miranda."

"Thank you," the mediator said, "and now the two of you can switch places."

"No," Danny murmured, "please don't let them switch places."

"All right, Commander," the mediator nodded to him, "you have just caught Miles in the midst of a robbery, with the weapon, and you have him on videotape committing the crime. Start with Miranda and take it from there."

"Miranda?" Steve nodded. "If you insist." 

Danny glanced Heavenward and began to whisper to himself. "Please let him do it the right way. If he does, I'll start going back to church or synagogue, whichever, or both, I swear."

Steve glared at Miles. "You have the right to remain silent, but I do too, so if you choose not to speak we can just have a staring contest." 

Danny buried his face in his hands.

Steve smiled. "If you give up that right, which you should if you know what's good for you, I will tell all in court during your trial, but also, if you talk now we can get it over with so I can go to lunch."

Danny was looking upwards again. "You hate me, don't you?" 

Steve was on a roll. "You have the right to an attorney, though I don't think you need one, because we can just present the videotape of you committing the illegal act to the jury and they will convict you in under five minutes, so you're going to prison no matter what." 

"COMMANDER MCGARRETT!" The mediator screamed. "Do you really give the Miranda warning like that?"

"I used to," Steve deadpanned.

"You used to?"

"I've pretty much been forbidden from giving a suspect their rights anymore." Steve seemed disappointed. "Danny usually takes care of it, or sometimes Chin Ho or Kono, who make up the rest of my team."

"What happens when you arrest somebody on your own?" The mediator asked him.

"Unless it's a life or death situation, I'm not allowed to do that anymore either," Steve pouted, "not after the incident which involved chasing some drug dealers into the zoo. I am required to have either one of my team with me at all times, preferably Danny, or a minimum of two members of the HPD - the district attorney said so, right after she forbade me from giving Miranda."

The mediator raised his eyebrows. "Next up we were going to have some of our illustrious officers tell about some of their more interesting cases, but this one sounds quite, er, intriguing, so you can go first, Commander. You were saying something about the zoo?"

'No,' Danny felt his stomach churning, 'please don't tell them about the zoo.'

"Yes, the zoo," Steve said. "The drug dealers fled in there and my team and I gave chase."

"Tell us more, Commander," the mediator asked.

"Don't do it, Steve," Danny whimpered. 

But of course Steve didn't hear him. "All was going well until the bats got loose, and I swear that was an accident."

"Bats? Did you say **bats**?" The mediator paled, and so did Danny, who was sinking lower into his chair.

"My bullet ricocheted and hit the button that controlled the glass enclosures and they flew out," Steve just continued on, "and then the vultures got involved and by the time things were cleared up, half the bats had been torn to shreds. And seeing the vultures apparently riled up the rhino and he busted out, knocking down the hyena's pen. The hyenas went after the bears, and you'd think that a big bear would face up to a hyena instead of hiding in his makeshift cave."

The mediator, and a good number of police officers, were staring at Steve as if he was insane. "And what else happened at the zoo?"

Steve didn't even think about what he was saying; he was just answering the question. "Other than catching five drug dealers and confiscating a shitload of heroin? We caught the orangutan before it got off the property, although the elephant did crush three police cruisers, a Volvo, and Chin's bike. But Chin was okay with it, because he wanted a new one anyway." He shrugged. "Kono managed to sneak a tiger into her car, and then got a little upset when they wouldn't let her take him home - I thought she was going to cry; Chin got to adopt the anaconda, who he named Fred." Steve took a moment to think. "One of the suspect's did learn not to mess with a porcupine, which liked Danny." He eyed Danny thoughtfully, not noticing that Danny was ready to self-combust. "It didn't even raise its spikes, or whatever they're called, when he reached out without thinking to pet it."

"I see." The mediator nodded again. "And what kind of animal did you make friends with?"

"A wolf, and I really wanted to take him as a present for Grace, because she did a report on them, but Danny said no," Steve frowned in sadness, "because he would probably eat Mister Hoppy and then Grace would be scarred for life." 

"Danny would eat Mister Hoppy?"

"No, the wolf." Steve looked at him like **he** was nuts. "Anyway, they wanted to ban me from the zoo, but I like it there, it's peaceful, and my lawyer said it was illegal, so the zoo amended their ruling and said I could return, but I have to be supervised." 

"And your team supervises you when you visit the zoo now?"

"No, of course not, they're all police officers and have other things to do," Steve further explained. "Grace does, and as long as I buy her ice cream and a stuffed toy, she's okay with that. Danny warned me about my, uh, verbiage, around her because her language became a bit, shall we say, more colorful after one afternoon."

"Thank you, Commander McGarrett," the mediator said, "for sharing that story. I am sure I speak for all the police officers in the room when I say we shall never forget it."

Steve just gave him a grin as he left the podium and returned to his seat. "What's the matter, Danno? You don't look so good. You're paler than usual."

"Why did you tell them about the zoo?"

"He asked, and I enjoyed telling it."

"You couldn't have told them something simple, like chasing that arms dealer last month?"

"You mean the case that involved the exploding pineapples, those tourists from Iowa, and Ryan Seacrest?"

"Never mind; the zoo was better."

"You thought it was funny when you told your parents; I was there when you called them." Steve actually seemed a bit upset. "And you even stole my phone so you could get Mary Ann's number and tell her all about it. But I tell it and you get pissed."

"You told it to a room full of police officers; how am I going to live it down?"

Steve stood up and laughed, but it wasn't his usual happy laugh; it was more disgusted. "In all the time I've known you, Danny, you never struck me as the kind of person who cared about making any kind of impression. And to top it all off, I can tell you're ashamed of us - of me." He almost knocked Danny over in his seat as he fled the room.

"Steve, I'm not...." Danny shut his mouth; he **was** ashamed, thinking that Steve had just made the Governor's task force look like a bunch of lunatics. And feeling shame for Steve himself - his best friend - made him feel like a piece of shit and then some. It **had** been funny, and he chuckled to himself when he remembered how he and Steve had cornered the orangutan, and how Steve, the stalwart SEAL, was genuinely terrified of it. And afterwards, Danny himself had gone to the gift shop and bought Kono the largest stuffed tiger they had to cheer her up. 

Oh yeah, Danny owed Steve an apology big time. He finally moved, ready to chase after Steve, but two men sat down next to him and he resigned himself to being stuck there for the duration. 

Finally, after almost two hours of listening to case histories which had bored him to near-tears, Danny was able to get up and leave the room. He had to find Steve; there was nothing more important at that moment. On his way out he was stopped by a Captain. 

"I have been coming to these things for **years** and I have never been so entertained." The Captain was smiling. "Usually it's the same old bullshit - I caught a suspect in a warehouse, I arrested a perp in a bank - but Commander McGarrett has just impressed a roomful of us."

"But you were laughing at him," Danny pointed out.

"At him? No, we were laughing at his story. Thank the Commander when you see him and tell him the first round is on me this evening at dinner."

"Will do," Danny grinned, thinking this would make Steve feel better.

**~~~~~~~~**

Danny couldn't find Steve in the hotel, and finally figured out where he was. He spotted Steve sitting on the boat, staring out into the sunset, drinking a Longboard. "Are you leaving?"

"No, because Jameson will kill me." Steve wouldn't face him. "I just want to be alone."

"That's not going to happen, Steve, you should know that." Danny sat beside him. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter; you were still ashamed of me and the team." Steve bit at his lower lip. "I don't understand you sometimes."

Danny knew that look; he'd seen it twice before. Once when Steve had to send Mary Ann away and the second time when Grace had to get her appendix removed. It was the face that said 'I'm human and I have feelings and I hurt and I want to cry but I won't because SEAL's don't do that.' Danny hated that look on Steve, and one day he was going to convince Steve that sadness and pain were emotions that were okay, and that showing them didn't make you any less of a man. "Steve, they liked the zoo story; one of the Captain's told me."

Steve turned and faced him, their lips a few inches apart. "It doesn't matter what they thought, Danny; you didn't like it." 

"I said I was sorry." Danny moved forward on instinct and so did Steve, and Danny was so sure Steve was going to kiss him and he planned on kissing back - and then Steve stood up abruptly and stepped off the boat.

Danny followed and fell into step beside Steve; anyone watching the two closely would have noticed that they walked at the same pace, their footsteps identical, their stance like twins. As for their facial expressions, both had their lips pursed, as if they wanted to say something to one another, but both were reluctant to open their respective mouths. 

Once they returned to the hotel, Danny went toward the dining area set up for the evening, but Steve shook his head. 

"I'll be there, Danny, I just want to go and...freshen up."

Danny didn't want to argue with him, so he went inside and took a seat at a table with various people, including two Captains from California. He was antsy as he waited for Steve, wondering if Steve had opted to bail. He was just about to (once again) go on a search for his partner when Steve seemed to magically materialize at the table.

He was clothed in his Levis 505's with a dark green tee (the skin-tight kind, not his usual polo), wearing his Wolverines. He sat down and smiled at those around him, ignoring Danny's glare at his choice of clothing. "Let's eat, shall we?" Steve smirked at the waiter. "I'll have **fried** calamari with loaded mashed potatoes and make sure there's lots of butter on them." If Danny was going to be embarrassed by him, Steve was going to go all out. "And bring two Longboards - I don't want wine, it's too frou-frou." And if he ended up directing traffic, he would deal with that also. They all introduced themselves to him, but Steve didn't really pay attention; he was more focused on raising Danny's blood pressure a bit. "Why are you all dressed as if you're going to a funeral?"

"We're all dressed proper," Danny growled.

"Not for Hawaii," Steve said happily. "Ties should be illegal and floggings should be in place for wearing them." The waiter brought his beers and Steve said something to him in Pidgin - the waiter looked around the table and cracked up as he walked away.

Danny was the only one who clearly understood the disparaging remark Steve had made about everyone's attire, but kept his cool as he poked at his salad. "How are you all enjoying Maui?"

"They'd be enjoying it a whole lot more if they headed to Pu'u Ola'i Beach." Steve snickered, eyeing one of the wives. "And this lady would most certainly stand out."

"Why thank you, Commander McGarrett," she smiled.

"You're most welcome and I would love to see you there." Steve played with **his** salad. "Why are there olives in my salad?" He picked one up and threw it in Danny's plate. "It's not natural."

A Lieutenant turned to Steve. "I have never been so entertained," he said. "How long did you practice that story?"

"What story?" Steve asked, even though he knew.

"The one about the zoo," another cop added. 

"I left out some of it." Steve swigged his Longboard, sighing after he swallowed. "Like my partner over here," he looked upon Danny proudly, "taking a bullet for me."

"You were shot, Detective Williams?" Another asked.

Danny met Steve's eyes, waiting for Steve to tell the whole story.

But all Steve added was, "Yes, Danny took one meant for me." He left out the part that Chin later compared to a 'Three Stooges' comedy starring Steve and Danny.

_Pissed off orangutan snatches Navy SEAL's gun, points it at said SEAL and pulls trigger. Cop shoves SEAL out of the bullets path and gets winged in the shoulder. Poor orangutan then shoots self in the foot, and SEAL and cop practically carry it to the animal first aid station - where rough and tough SEAL nearly loses it at the sight of ill animals - and does lose his stomach contents the moment they step outside. Apparently SEAL doesn't mind injured, bloody and/or maimed people, but animals do him in._

Case stories were then traded, and Steve and Danny one-upped everyone, and not intentionally either. 

"And I thought California was rough," an officer remarked when he heard about the case involving the pirates.

While the other cops told normal stories about interrogations, Steve told about Danny tying one to the hood of a car and speeding through downtown Honolulu and up into a parking garage, and nobody could top Steve throwing a suspect into a shark tank.

"I heard a story that you once threatened to toss a suspect off a rooftop, Commander McGarrett," one of the Captains stated with a slight chuckle, setting off a few other laughs around the table. 

"More than once," Danny clarified, as if it was a normal occurrence; which, he realized to his surprise, it had pretty much become. "And he usually dangles them, and that's why our new insurance rates almost tripled."

The laughter doubled; everyone apparently thought he was joking.

The female officer sitting to Steve's left stroked a finger around the tattoo on his bicep. "It's interesting, Commander McGarrett."

Steve gave her his shy smile - the boyish one that made old ladies want to bake him cookies.

And she noticed and took her lower lip between her teeth and bit down, almost seductively, sucking it into her mouth. 

Danny's mouth dropped open and he was lost for words - Steve was blatantly flirting. 

"Unofficially, I'm Steve." Steve leered at her, "and I have quite a few more."

"Yeah, he does," Danny mentioned on purpose, "including a tramp-stamp."

"You have a tramp-stamp?" That seemed to turn her on.

"I got it on a dare in Paris," Steve shrugged. "It was either that or 'Babette' permanently inked on my ass and she was just a one-night stand."

Danny was in the midst of drinking and choked on his wine. "Thank you for sharing that, Steven."

"I have more, if anyone is interested."

"No, we are **not** ," Danny warned him.

Dinner was eventually brought out, and Steve was about to dig into his food, when he caught Danny's look from the corner of his eye. He was over his anger and he wanted peace with his partner, so he picked up his plate and handed it back to the waiter. "I changed my mind," he said, "I'll have the chicken marsala instead." 

"You can't have that," Danny sighed, putting up his hand as Steve opened his mouth. "Marsala has mushrooms."

"I didn't know; I've never had it." Steve gave the menu another once over. "Baked chicken with broccoli." He gave Danny a half-smile, letting him know all was forgiven.

"He's allergic to mushrooms," Danny explained, "and we just found out a few months ago."

"You take good care of your husband," an officer remarked.

"We're not married," Steve replied calmly. "Danno just watches out for me sometimes."

"Somebody has to do it," Danny snickered, "because left to his own devices, trouble always ensues."

Steve stared at his plate as it was brought, but didn't say a word as he began to eat.

"'Danno', what a cute nickname," the woman to Steve's left sighed and turned to Danny. "How long have you been here, Danno?"

The use of the nickname made Steve grind his teeth and Danny noticed. Without thinking he placed a hand under the table and rubbed Steve's leg, giving him a smile, before he turned to her. "Three years," he answered, quickly adding, "and Danno's a nickname reserved for Steve and my daughter."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"It's okay," Danny added quickly, "you couldn't have known."

Steve pushed the vegetables around on his plate, but did make small conversation; he just wanted to spend some time alone with Danny, but every time he tried, there was a crowd. When the others at the table stood up and began to say good-night, he was cordial, and waited until Danny stood to leave before following.

On the way to the elevator they ran into Jennifer, who explained that she had spoken with the manager and knew why they were in the same room.

Danny confused her by ignoring her, more concerned about Steve at that moment.

The two were silent in the elevator and Steve stalked to the room, opening the door and not even holding it open for Danny. 

"There was no reason to get angry when she called me 'Danno'," Danny said, undoing his tie. "And yes, I noticed. She couldn't have known that it was for you and Grace alone."

Steve unlaced his boots and took them off. "I just - I didn't like hearing somebody else call you that."

"Don't feel too bad," Danny added. "When Grace was about four, Rachel did the same and Grace was quite verbal about it being her name for me." He sat next to Steve, kicking off his shoes. "And I'm sorry for what I said earlier," he reiterated. "I'm not ashamed of the team or of you; never have been, never will be."

"I know," Steve said softly, "and I owe you the same for getting pissed at you." 

"You're fully forgiven."

"Then we're good?"

"Always, Steve. And since we're good, let me ask you something: Why did you wear those jeans?" Danny shook his head in scorn. "You couldn't wear your usual Cargos?"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing, Danno?" Steve looked himself over.

"You look like you poured your ass into them!" Danny blurted without thinking. 

Steve sat down on the bed, staring at Danny, mouth agape. Had Danny just admitted he was looking at Steve's ass?

Once his brain caught up to his mouth Danny felt the heat creeping into his cheeks. He gathered his pajamas, went into the bathroom, got washed up and changed, came out and got into the bed.

Steve took his turn to get ready for bed, and by the time he came out of the bathroom the light on Danny's side was off. Yes, he knew Danny wasn't asleep, but he also knew Danny didn't want to discuss what he had said, and Steve wouldn't push it. When Danny was ready to talk, he would be there. Sliding into his side of the bed, Steve made it a point to keep a few inches between them. It was difficult, but he would manage.

Steve finally fell asleep, but he was restless in slumber again. At some point during the night his body migrated to the right side of the bed and he curled himself around Danny, spooning close, feeling the heat emanating from Danny's body. It was only then that his own body calmed and relaxed and he was able to sleep soundly. 

**~~~~~~~~**

**_ Saturday - Steve and Danny finally catch the clue bus _ **

Danny woke and was about to get up but found he couldn't - Steve's arm was stretched around him and Steve's cock was poking him in the thigh. He tried to get loose, but Steve just huffed in his sleep and held tighter. Frustrated, (and needing to pee) Danny attempted to uncurl Steve's arm, which succeeded - except as Danny removed Steve's arm from around his body, Steve's fingertips slipped under his tee shirt and along the bare flesh; Danny couldn't help the moan. He really didn't want to leave the warmth of Steve pressing against him, but bodily functions took precedence.

The moment a very much awake Steve heard the bathroom door close, a grin split his face. Danny had clearly moaned when Steve touched him - Danny had liked it. Of course it could have also been a generic reaction to being touched; some people got off on anything. 'No, not Danny,' he thought, 'he's too emotional; he cares too much.' Rolling over Steve stared at the ceiling, and made up his mind that by the end of the day he would know how Danny felt about him. 

Danny finished up and Steve went in, the two meeting in the doorway of the bathroom and smiling at each other.

"No bitching today?" Danny asked.

"I'm going to be a good boy," Steve held up three fingers, "Scout's honor."

"Just for that I'll order up some breakfast."

"Real food, Danno?"

"Diet, Steven."

"I love you anyway," Steve blurted without thinking.

"Yeah, me too, " Danny grinned.

Steve was ready to step forward and gather Danny into his arms when Danny added, "You're the best friend I ever had; I wouldn't trade you in for a pound of real pastrami."

"Likewise, Detective." Steve wasn't put off by Danny's words; he was convinced Danny had deeper feelings for him and he was going to get Danny to show them before the day was out. He didn't have a clue how he was going to do it, but he would. 

**~~~~~~~~**

The morning started off with another visit to the auditorium and once again the two men took seats in the rear. 

This time it was Captains of various states discussing subjects as, "What makes a good police officer," and "Recruitment for the 21st Century." But when the third lecture started, and it was titled, "Why your gun should only be used as a last resort," Steve and Danny turned to each other as if to say, 'Is this guy for real?' took out their respective phones and each began a game of 'Diner Dash', which turned into almost two hours of them trying to best each other.

At noon a luncheon was served and Steve was grinning at all the choices, but Danny gave him a plate of, once again, broiled chicken, with a side of spinach. Then Danny made Steve watch as he demolished a lobster tail, although he was nice enough to have a side of mixed vegetables as opposed to the mashed potatoes. Steve resigned himself to his diet and didn't even attempt to order ice cream for dessert, requesting plain sponge cake and a glass of milk instead, and had to concentrate on **NOT** drooling when Danny had a slice of cheesecake with strawberries and sauce.

Steve was actually talkative at the table, which seemed to please Danny, but he kept the conversations simple. He still wanted to go home - he missed his house, his beach, even his hammock. But he would stick to his best behavior for Danny, because apparently if Danny was happy, all was right with Steve's world. 

And it had only taken Steve two years to figure that out.

An announcement was made about the next activity: aqua-activities. This involved swimming and water rescue, and someone gleefully suggested surfing.

One look between Steve and Danny and they decided, in silent agreement, that it would be unfair if Steve participated. His Navy and SEAL training would have put anyone at a disadvantage, more so than the weapons.

But of course Steve, being from Hawaii, was chosen along with three officers from California to demonstrate. He tried to decline, he really did, but was practically ordered to by a Captain from Nevada. Danny was chosen as well, but fell back on his ACL excuse again, which was okay with Steve. Yes, Danny was a good, and strong, swimmer, he had proven that more than once, but he wasn't overly fond of the water.

Steve went to the room to get changed and when he came back he was wearing a pair of (short and tight) trunks that left almost nothing to the imagination. He also didn't have a board and didn't like the one they provided, so he ambled down the beach, had a few words with a surfer and returned with the man's board. "I can use it," Steve explained to Danny, "but I had to give him a 'get out of jail free card' the next time he gets arrested." At Danny's scowl, Steve added, "He's been busted a few times for pot possession is all."

Even though Danny had seen Steve on a board before, he had never really paid attention. But today was different - it was all Steve; Steve in (almost) all his glory. Danny didn't know if his heart (or would that be his libido?) could take the strain. It was bad enough that he had to wipe literal drool from the corner of his mouth, but he also had to fight the urge to deck a guy who made a remark about how nice Steve looked in his bathing suit. Danny wanted to scream 'MINEMINEMINE!' but just knew that wouldn't go over well with his partner. After all, Steve wasn't his in reality, only his (recent) daydreams.

And why didn't Steve bring board shorts? Why did he have to bring the bathing suit that showed off every inch of his lower body and then some? 

There were more remarks about Steve; some were more than filthy and **all** were sexual. Danny finally left the beach before he got genuinely pissed off and embarrassed himself. He mulled about the lobby for a while, avoiding both Jennifer **and** Alison - he had lost interest in both of them. Danny returned when he saw some of the officers entering the hotel lobby, knowing the morning's activities were finished, only to find Steve talking to a younger man.

The guy was chatting Steve up and Steve flashed him the shit-eating grin that Danny considered his and his alone. How **dare** Steve give that look to anyone else? "Steve?"

"Hey, Danny, meet Ted, he's from Taos. I'm going to give him some surfing lessons."

"Oh no you're not." Danny picked up the surfboard. "I am returning this board to its rightful owner." He carried it down the beach and had a few words with the surfer, who actually paled (and yes, even with his tan, Steve noticed all the color drain from the poor man's face) and ran off the beach at lightning speed. Danny felt smug, thinking, 'It's amazing what you can get across in Pidgin that you can't in English.' As he returned to Steve his face seemed to darken - Steve had his hands on Ted's waist, and he was whispering in his ear, and Ted was laughing. "What are you doing?"

"I was just explaining that surfing is all in the balance." Steve quickly backed away; Danny looked murderous. "I'll catch up with you later; I have to go get changed."

"Looking forward to it, Commander - I mean, Steve." Ted leered at him. "I'll see you then."

Danny didn't say a word about that; he just gripped Steve's arm and pulled him toward the hotel. "I repeat, what are you doing?!"

"I figure you're going to spend some time with Jennifer or Alison, or both, and I don't want to be by myself, so I made plans."

"With him?" Danny nodded over his shoulder at Ted. "The guy's a child, for Christ's sake."

"He's 27, Danny, and he's got a degree in chemistry of all things." Steve couldn't help another grin. "I minored in chemistry when I was in college and I thought it would be cool to talk to somebody about it."

Danny's face suddenly fell, like he was punched in the gut. "Oh," was all he said, letting Steve's arm go. "Yeah, I guess it would make for an interesting evening."

"I never asked you, Danny - what did you get your degree in? Two years and I never thought to ask, of which I am sorry."

"You never read my personnel file, did you?"

"Some of it," Steve admitted. 

"I have a high school diploma," Danny told him. "Some of us didn't have the money to go to college and we had to go straight to work. That's why I've been a cop since I was 19."

"Danny, I don't care that you didn't go to college; you're the best cop I know."

"Go meet some others," Danny replied, the hurt evident in his voice, "and I'm sure you'll feel differently."

Steve knew he had put his foot in his mouth with his question; he should have known that about Danny. Slinging an arm around Danny's shoulders he added, "Not going to happen, partner. As far as I'm concerned, there isn't a police officer in any state that could match up to you."

Danny shoved him away. "You're getting me all wet!"

Steve, without thinking, took Danny's hand in his and pulled him back toward the water. "Come swimming with me."

Danny looked himself over. "In my sweats?"

Steve then changed direction, back to the hotel. "I'll buy you a bathing suit."

"Steve, I don't want...."

"Please, Danno?" Steve gave him the puppy eyes he had learned from Grace. "It'll be fun."

"If I say yes will you stop hitting on twenty-something's?"

"Never again." Steve smirked. "I'll only hit on my own age group, which would be you."

Danny thought about that for a moment. "No." 

The next shove was playful and Steve pushed back, the two getting into a mock shoving match. Danny raised the 'stakes' and Steve wasn't prepared for Danny grabbing his arm and flipping him onto his back.

"You've been taking fighting lessons from Kono, I see," Steve grinned, not moving.

"Actually," Danny said shyly, "I learned that one in Jersey."

"After all this time there's still a lot I don't know about you." Steve was quick and slid his leg out, tripping Danny and rolling on top of him, pinning his arms over his head. "I learned that one from Lisa Beth Casey." He leaned down, his face an inch from Danny's. "I have quite a few more moves I could show you."

Danny's tongue slipped out and he licked his upper lip. "So do I." He tossed Steve forward and quickly had Steve in the same position. "Newark High Wrestling Team." Danny suddenly noticed that all eyes were on them and also the fact that he was getting hard; he sprang to his feet and kept some distance between himself and Steve. "Time to get changed and, uh - nothing to do until dinner." 

"We could...." Steve started, but Danny was already a few feet ahead of him.

"I'm going to find out if another room became available." Danny hightailed it back to the lobby, rushing to the front desk.

Steve just stared after him. 'He cares about you; he got hard, you felt it.' He was hurt again, wondering what he had done wrong. Had flirting with Ted backfired? Maybe Danny was straight and had no interest in him. Maybe the hard-on was a fluke. Maybe - 'No, enough with the maybe's,' Steve thought, 'he does care about you. He's probably afraid, just like you are; afraid that if you start something it will only lead to disaster and ruin your working relationship.' With his mind made up, Steve headed toward the front desk, but made a turn and entered the back office, seeing the manager coding a room key. Grabbing him by the arm, Steve spun him around. "You are going out there and telling him you made a mistake, and that there are no other rooms available."

"And why would I want to do that, frogman?" the manager mocked. "Rangers can kick ass a helluva lot better than you, so if you want a fight, you got one."

Steve stepped back. "I'm not going to fight you, but let me ask - what's your clearance?"

"A-7; why?"

"Good," Steve nodded, "mine also. So let me just say that I have agency contacts and if you give my partner a different room I'll see to it you're reactivated and shipped off to Greenland for the next year...or six."

"You don't scare me."

"I know Franklin Adams and he owes me a couple of favors; you **have** heard of him, haven't you?"

The manager swallowed hard at the name; it was obvious he **did** know it. "Uh, perhaps I did get the wrong information. I'll tell Detective Williams there's been a mistake."

"You do that," Steve replied calmly, "and maybe Frank doesn't hear your name from my lips." He then left the office with a grin on his face and a spring in his step. As he got to the elevator he saw Danny's eyes grow wide and wondered if his partner was going to pick a fight. If Danny did, he'd be beaten to a pulp. 

Danny was tough and could hold his own, but Rangers, like SEAL's, were not to be fucked with - they were dangerous. 

Steve was ready to intervene if necessary, but when Danny just stomped away from the front desk, he stepped into the elevator, thinking about what he was going to do next.

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve came back downstairs about 30 minutes later, but he couldn't find his partner. He tried to avoid the various officers who approached him for small talk, but found himself cornered by two women from the Denver PD who were interested in transferring to Honolulu. Ten minutes with them and he seriously considered running for his boat and heading home.

What had he been thinking? He wasn't a cop; he was a SEAL. He wasn't overly fond of following orders and when he had been in the field, he did his own thing and his superiors allowed it as long as he got the job done. And now? Now he felt like a genuine seal trapped in captivity - put on display to perform; given a treat if he behaved. He hated every minute of it. If it weren't for his team he would have departed his position with 5-0 and returned to Naval Intelligence or the CIA long ago - God knows they had asked him enough, and both had made him offers involving a shitload of money to train new recruits and even more to go back into the field. He still got offers as often as once a month.

Finally distancing himself, he sat down and looked around him, thinking about what might have been.

If he had left the task force after a few months like he had considered his team would have been disbanded. He knew in his gut they wouldn't have stayed without him. They had become Ohana after their first run-in with Victor Hesse.

If he had resigned Chin Ho would still be a disgraced detective instead of the decorated and respected officer he had become. Kono would probably be relegated to shit cases in some department, the shadow of her cousin looming over her; instead she was now a full-fledged detective. And Danny, Danny would be back in homicide, closing cases left and right, and been bored out of his mind.

Steve would have been alone and so very lonely.

Giving himself a metaphorical smack he went on a search for Danny, intending to wind him up some more. That made him smile - getting under Danny's skin was his favorite past time and he had perfected it. Of course it was a two-way street, as Danny's frequent jibes about Steve's stint in the "army" had proven. After almost an hour (and getting cornered by other officers) he finally located Danny, who was facing a group of cops, all larger than he was; a couple were larger than Steve. 

"Your partner's really weird," one of the cops told him. "Is he under a psychiatrist's care?"

"If he's not he should be," another one said.

Now Danny had thought that many times, and even said it to Steve, but he'd be damned if anyone else said it. "Yeah, he's weird, and maybe a bit unstable, and sure, I'll fully admit he's borderline." 

Steve felt his heart drop to his stomach - Danny was making fun of him again. If there had been somewhere for him to hide, he would have. "You're not a little kid," he said to himself, "so get your shit together." Steve should have stuck around for a few minutes longer to hear everything else Danny had to say.

Danny hadn't seen him and got into one of the cop's faces and gritted his teeth. "He's **my** weird and **my** unstable and he's also taken a bullet for me three times without thinking about it. Could any of you jerks say the same about your partners?"

"And that story about the zoo, what kind of nut job is he?"

That was it for Danny, who threw a punch, his fist connecting with the larger man's jaw.

It wasn't the first fight of the weekend, but it was certainly the messiest....

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve went up to the room and took out his phone, making a call that was sure to make him feel better. "Hi Grace." He felt a lump in his throat. "How are you?"

_"Did you get Dad shot again?"_

"No," Steve forced a laugh, "not yet anyway."

 _"The day is young,"_ she told him.

"You're a smartass, you know that?"

_"Steve, what's the matter? You sound sad."_

She was perceptive, just like her Danno. "I wanted to hear your voice, that's all; I miss you, kiddo."

 _"Me too, Super-Steve,"_ she giggled at that nickname, _"and Kono picked me and Mom up and we went to Ala Moana."_

"Ala Moana? There are some rough waves out there."

_"Yeah, but Kono, Ben, Uncle Chin, Kamekona and Mom were all watching me and guess what? I caught a real wave, not a kiddie one, and I wiped out, but it was awesome. Kono says you're not a real surfer until you do that."_

"She's right, and you better not tell Danno that; he'll freak."

_"Mom went on a surfboard, too, and she was really cool, and these surfer dudes tried to pick her up, and it was kinda icky 'cause she's so old."_

"Old?"

_"She's 34, that's ancient."_

There was no way Steve was about to tell her he was 36. "Thanks, Grace, for talking to me and cheering me up."

_"Anytime, Steve, and I'm sending you lots of hugs and I love you."_

"Yeah? Well that's good, because I love you too." 

_"And there's no reason to be sad; Danno's there and he's good at giving hugs, and I bet if you asked him, he'd give you a big one, because he loves you just as much as I do."_

"I love him, also; he's my best friend."

 _"But you'd like him to be more, wouldn't you?"_ she asked knowingly.

"GRACE!"

 _"Goodbye, Super-Steve, see you soon!"_

Steve stared at his phone. "She couldn't know," he said to himself. "She's not even 12 yet. And **I** didn't even know until the other night." He heard the door open and turned, watching as Danny came stumbling in. "Danny! What happened?!"

Danny's clothes were filthy, his shirt was ripped, his hair was all over the place, and his right hand was covering his mouth. 

Steve was across the room in a moment, taking Danny's hand in his and trying to pull it away. "Let me take a look."

"No, it hurts."

"Quit it, you big baby." Steve pushed him into the bathroom, flipped the lid down and made Danny sit on the toilet; he clearly 'tsked' as he wet a cloth, shaking his head in scorn. "Danny, why were you fighting?" He knelt down to clean up Danny's face.

"When did you become my mother?" Danny asked snidely. "And quit trying to wipe my face; I'm not a child."

Steve of course ignored him. "Just tell me, Danny." He was clearly concerned. "You usually let your mouth do your fighting for you."

"Fine. If you must know, a few of my - 'fellow' - police officers said a few things about you and I had to set things straight."

"Like the fact that you think I'm weird and unstable."

"What?" Danny stared at him as if he was **genuinely** insane. "Why would you say that?"

" **They** said it and I heard you agreeing." Steve stared at the floor.

"You heard what?" Danny thought about the conversation prior to the fight. "I'm going to assume, Steve, that you didn't hear what I said after. Because I made it clear that you were **my** weird and unstable, and you've taken three bullets for me. And then one of 'em called you a nut job and I sort of got a bit upset and maybe my fist found its way to his jaw, and then, you know, a fight broke out." He finally paused, taking another breath. "Jesus, Steve, how could you think that I would actually agree with them?"

Steve had the good grace to look cowed. "I, uh, I guess I didn't think."

Danny cracked a smile. "That was hard for you to admit, wasn't it?"

"You have no idea." Steve returned the smile. "And Grace is going to kill me because you got hurt."

"Grace?"

"I called her and she made me feel better." Steve was wiping Danny's face, thankful that it looked worse than it was, and he finally got the courage to do what he had been thinking about. He leaned in, ready to kiss Danny, but hesitated for a moment; all of a sudden he was unsure again.

As he had on the boat Danny brought his lips forward, but this time his lips lightly brushing against Steve's.

Steve moaned as those lips pressed harder against his, his hands found their way to Danny's shoulders, he opened his mouth and licked at Danny's lips, feeling them open to him - and there was a knock at the door. He was fully prepared to ignore that knock, until a voice announced it was "Captain" something or other (Steve didn't catch the name) and Danny's lips were gone, the detective in him standing up to respond to a superior. 

Danny had a few words with the Captain and returned to the bathroom. "He wanted to know why I beat up four men - and how I did it." He shooed Steve out of the bathroom. "I have to clean up."

Steve just nodded to Danny and allowed him to shut the door. While Danny was in the shower, he fought off the queasy feeling in his stomach. The moment between him and Danny was over - they were back to buddies again. He shouldn't have kissed Danny. Yes, Danny had kissed him back, but Steve was certain that was spur of the moment horniness and/or leftover adrenaline on Danny's part. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said to himself out loud, "the moment is **gone** and it's never coming back." He stared at the closed bathroom door. "You lose yet again, Steve." Steve left the room, heading down to the bar.

Danny came out of the shower, yearning to have a more 'up close and personal' relationship with Steve's lips. The brief touch they had shared had lit up each of his nerve endings, but he was messy from the fight and needed to wash up first. Now though, now he was clean, yet ready to get dirty again - dirty with Steve. "Steve, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. I think I - no, I know - I've fallen in love with you. I didn't think it would ever happen again, not after the pain of my divorce. But you...." He glanced around the room - no Steve. "Are you out there?" He walked onto the balcony. "Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you're not hiding in the closet or under the bed. I guess it's time for me to play detective and find you." Pulling on jeans and a tee, he headed out of the room. 

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve took a seat at the bar and ordered a shot of _Patron Silver_ ; he wanted to drown his sorrows in some good tequila. It had been a while since he had felt the pain of a broken heart. Yes, Catherine breaking up with him had hurt, but he understood. She wanted more from him then he was willing to give. Catherine had begun to talk about marriage and children and the future and Steve didn't want any of that - at least he hadn't at the time. Now he knew the truth: It wasn't that he didn't want those things, he just didn't want them from her. He wanted them with Danny. He could marry Danny, have a future with him, and they would have Grace. But unfortunately Danny didn't want him that way, hence the alcohol. One shot down and it burned his throat, but he ordered another, and then heard the footsteps coming behind him, followed by the voices.

"Hey sailor-boy - and yeah, we know what you are now - we want our money back."

"You're military, we're not, and you had no business going up against us."

"So fork it all over or we kick your ass back to Honolulu."

Steve turned around and sighed. "You boys don't want to fight with me." He faced the bar again, drinking his second shot, when he felt the hand on his shoulder. Turning slightly, he grabbed it and twisted, causing the man to drop to his knees. "If you do that again, I'll break it."

"LEGGO!"

Steve did, and gave the man a push. "I don't want to fight, but if you and your friends become insistent, I will." He saw three other men approach him and rolled his eyes. "You guys are all gluttons for punishment, aren't you?" A punch was thrown and Steve easily blocked it and threw his own, the first man stumbling backwards into a decorative window, which he fell through. Steve grew concerned for a moment, after all, it was glass, but saw the man get to his feet and stalk over to him. "Goddamit! Leave me alone!" He saw the fist coming from his right and kicked out, sending the second man onto a table (and breaking it). Steve pulled him to his feet, yanked him by the shirt and punched him in the face.

Two grabbed him next, each taking an arm - big mistake. Steve spun around and got loose, flipping one over his shoulder onto the floor and the other was placed in a headlock, Steve giving him a couple of punches in the gut. He was more than ready to take on a couple of more cops who wanted to join in the fray - he was on an adrenaline-high and had barely broken a sweat. "I am not in the mood for this." 

"Steven!" Danny screamed as he observed the goings-on.

Steve glared at him. "What?"

"Behave yourself!"

"They started it!" Steve shot back and shook his head at the four men lying there. "I'm not just ex-Navy, you assholes; I'm a fucking SEAL, and be thankful you're all still in one piece."

Danny looked him over. "I get into a fight with four guys and I actually look like I got into a fight with four guys." He straightened Steve's shirt. "You get into a fight with four guys and look better afterwards."

"Why, Danno, was that a compliment?"

"Never, you egotistical Neanderthal."

"You must love me," Steve grinned at him, "if you're calling me pet names."

"I told you they were married," one of the men mumbled as he got to his feet.

"We're not married!" Steve and Danny both shouted as they headed back to the bar. 

Steve laid down a ten. "Another shot."

"Who's paying for the damages?" the bartender asked as he poured it, pointing around the bar.

"Send the bill to 5-0," Steve told him.

"I can't do that," the manager told him, "without authorization from whoever's in charge over there - I think his name's McGillicuddy, like the schnapps."

Danny was in the midst of drinking Steve's shot and couldn't help laughing.

"It's **McGarrett** ," Steve pulled out his ID.

"Whatever," the bartender shrugged. "The only one I know is Kelly, and he got my old lady out of a jam some years ago; he's a good guy."

"We think so," Danny smiled.

Steve finally focused on Danny; more specifically, Danny's clothing. "You brought jeans?"

"Yeah, I did, and if you tell anybody I wore them I will sic Grace on you."

"Quakin' in my boots here, Danno."

"I'll make you eat some of her cookies."

"The oatmeal ones that go down like cement or the sugar ones that taste like cardboard?"

"Both."

"I'll behave," Steve agreed.

"So, about that kiss," Danny started, "was it just a onetime thing or did it actually mean something?"

"Give him two more shots and I'll take one more," Steve told the bartender. "Then he and I will be even."

"I think we should eat something first," Danny smiled. "And yes, you're buying." He took Steve's hand in his, and noticed Steve staring at their entwined fingers, quickly pulling his hand away. "Sorry."

"You want to hold my hand, Danny?" Steve grasped it back. "I like it - a lot." He squeezed it, feeling like a teenager again, in love for the first time. "It feels right."

"It does, doesn't it?" Danny squeezed back and his smile turned into a grin. "Can I kiss you again?"

"No." Steve waited for Danny's smile to fade before he leaned down. "Because I'm going to kiss you." His lips were once again soft against Danny's, the briefest of touches, just a soft caress - until he felt an electric current shoot through him from head to toe. His free hand slid into Danny's hair and he deepened it, slipping his tongue inside to meet its twin, partaking of the taste and texture. "I could come from just kissing you."

"I hate you so very much."

"I know." Steve went for another kiss, but Danny ducked his head. 

"Dinner first, and you are going to buy me the biggest steak they have on the menu."

"Do I get to eat real food this time, Danno?" Steve asked quietly. "No broccoli or spinach?"

"I thought you liked veggies."

"Not when I'm forced to eat them."

"Then yes, and I won't squeal on you."

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve and Danny were focused totally on each other. They were basically unsociable to the other officers who attempted to make conversation, ate dinner by themselves and blew off anyone who tried to intrude on them. They finished and were on their way out when they ran into both Jennifer and Alison.

The women had both come looking for Danny, telling him that they both liked him, and would he be interested in a threesome?

Before Danny could reply, Steve's arm found its way around Danny's waist and he told them, in no uncertain terms, "Sorry, ladies, but he is mine, and I don't share."

"I thought you were in the room by accident?" Jennifer asked. "You said you were nothing more than **police** partners!"

"That was then," Steve shrugged, "this is now." 

They wandered through the lobby and were stopped by a Captain who informed them of another lecture series.

"We're not going," Danny told him. "We have other things to do."

"I will make it an order if I have to," the Captain stated firmly.

"Danny, let's just do it," Steve sighed. "He's a Captain and as much as I joked about it, I don't want to direct traffic." Danny whispered in his ear and Steve asked, "Are you sure?" and Danny replied with a nod. Steve then faced the Captain. "Apparently a Commander outranks a Captain so we're not going."

The Captain turned beet red. "WHAT?!"

Steve turned to Danny. "You are sure, aren't you?" 

"No, I'm not sure; I'm winging it," Danny deadpanned.

Steve turned back to the Captain with a shrug. "I never doubt Danny; if he says it's true, then it is. So have a swell time with the lectures, while we head off to the game room." 

"The game room?"

"Pac-Man awaits."

Danny allowed himself to be pulled along. "Pac-Man?"

"I'm going to see what you've got, bitch." Steve laughed as they entered and he purchased a game card. "Triple banana - HAH!" 

"I am so kicking your Marine ass," Danny teased.

"Army, Danny, I was in the...." Steve growled to himself when he realized what he had said.

"I thought it was the Navy?"

"Shut up, Danno, and I am going to kick **your** sorry ass at this."

Steve played Danny for about an hour before he conceded full defeat and suggested another classic, Galaxian.

This time it was Danny who grew frustrated, pouting and muttering curses under his breath as he quickly lost round after round. 

Steve noticed Danny's knuckles growing white as he gripped the joystick, his fingertips red from pushing the firing button. Standing behind him, Steve placed his hands over Danny's, whispering in his ear. "The secret is moving the joystick smoothly, back and forth, while you're gently pushing the button to fire." He peered over Danny's shoulder, taking control of Danny's hands. "See, all it takes is a bit of relaxation."

"Steve, are we still talking about video games?"

Steve leaned down and laid a trail of kisses along Danny's neck. "Only if you want it to be."

Danny turned around, resting his hands on Steve's waist. "No, I don't want it to be."

"Neither do I, Danny." Steve's lips found Danny's again, one hand sliding under Danny's tee, the other grabbing his ass. 

Danny pushed him back. "Room - bed - naked."

"Sounds like a plan," Steve murmured, leaning in for another kiss.

"Some of us are not exhibitionists." Danny ducked under Steve's arm and took a step backwards. "Let's go upstairs."

"Upstairs." Steve repeated the word, grinning like a moron. "To bed."

"You do know you're going to have to come with me, right?" Steve remained where he was. "Steve, are you okay?"

"You want to go to bed with me."

Danny's eyes wandered the room, finally settling back on his partner. "No, I want to go up to the room and play Monopoly."

"Sarcasm does not become you." Steve finally moved, following Danny. "Then again...."

"Keep it up, babe, and you'll be sleeping in the bathtub." Danny kept pressing the elevator button. "These things never come when you want them to." The doors finally opened and they entered, Danny pressed the button for their floor, and the moment they closed he found himself shoved against the wall and kissed again. He placed his hands on Steve's chest, holding him at arm's length. "Patience, Steve."

"Okay, Danny, I'll wait." Steve stood on the opposite side, his hands behind his back. "See, this is me with patience." That lasted until the elevator stopped, the doors opened and Danny stood in front of their door; Steve was immediately pressed against his back, his breath hot in Danny's ear. "C'mon, Danny, open the door already." He was grinding his cock against Danny's ass and his teeth began to nibble on Danny's ear. "I want you so bad."

"The key is in my back pocket," Danny gasped out, trying to reach it, instead groping Steve's cock. 

"I got it." Steve removed it and reached around him to open the door, and the moment they were inside and the door shut, he walked forward, forcing Danny to step backwards until Danny hit the bed. Steve took the hem of Danny's shirt and pulled it over Danny's head, and pushed him onto his back. He pulled off Danny's shoes and with deft hands opened Danny's jeans, sliding them off. "I want to suck your cock."

Danny was sure his mind was playing tricks on him. "You want to - did you just say you...."

"If you don't want me to, I won't." Steve palmed his cock and gave it a squeeze. "I used to like to give head."

"Used to?" Danny squeaked. 

"With you, Danny," Steve pushed his legs apart and knelt between them, "I'm going to love it." He leaned down and mouthed Danny through the thin fabric.

"Steve, please." 

"Patience, Danny." Steve glanced up, meeting Danny's eyes. "Remember?" He laid kisses along Danny's waist, rubbing his cheek against the crotch. "Mmm, you're so hard for me." Steve took the waistband in his teeth and pulled it down partway, so the tip of Danny's cock was showing. He placed a kiss to it, licking the head, stealing another glance up at Danny, whose eyes were closed. He stroked up Danny's sides, up the planes of his chest, taking each nipple between his fingers and rolling them, giving them a slight pinch. 

Danny just moaned.

Fingers dancing back down Danny's body, Steve pulled the underwear all the way down, Danny finally bared to him. He flicked out his tongue and gently licked the head, slowly moving his mouth over the rest of Danny's erection, until he had the length in his mouth, causing Danny to groan with pleasure. Steve lifted his head and spoke, his voice low and seductive. "You like it, Danny? Yeah you do. My tongue on your cock, tasting it, touching it." Before Danny could answer Steve's mouth was back upon his cock, alternating between licking gently and sucking hard. Danny was coming before he knew what was happening and Steve took as much as he could, the last of the come dribbling down his chin. "Too quick, Danny; you really need to learn some control." He backed off the bed, heading to the bathroom.

Danny was confused. "Steve, where are you going?" 

Steve was back a moment later, and he was naked. "You taste spectacular, but the aftertaste is a little too much for me." 

"Mouthwash," Danny smiled at the smell. "And I need to learn control?" he cracked, raising an eyebrow at the tube in Steve's hand. "When did you get lube?"

"I brought it in case I got lucky."

"And what makes you think you'll get lucky?" Danny teased. "I'm not easy, you know."

"Of course you are, Danno." Steve rolled his eyes. "All it takes is a bag of malasadas to make you do anything."

"Let's see who's easier." Danny flipped them so he was now on top. He licked at Steve's neck, sucking on his Adam's apple, kissing down to his nipples. He took each into his mouth, first licking and then gently biting. "I think you taste spectacular also."

Steve's breaths came quicker as his body arched upward. "Danny...yeah...so good...more."

Danny moved his mouth further down and avoided Steve's cock, instead moving his tongue to Steve's inner thighs, kissing and nipping, listening to every moan he was dragging from Steve. 

Steve was getting louder. "Danny, please, I can't take much more. If you want to kill me there are quicker ways - now - pleeeaaassse...." He attempted to get Danny's mouth to his cock but Danny fought him, and Steve couldn't figure out why. "Oh God, I'm begging here." 

"And we can't have the big brave SEAL coming undone, can we?" Danny teased. "Relax, babe, I'm going to take very good care of you." He laved Steve's balls, sucking each one and when Steve's hand moved to his own cock, Danny removed it. "That's mine." Danny twirled his tongue around the head. "I could play with this all night."

"Blow me."

"Kinda crass, Steve." Danny stopped, his cool breath blowing across the tip. "Try asking nicer. And with more feeling."

"Danny, I want your mouth on my cock, sucking it."

"Not good enough, babe." Danny jerked Steve's cock a few times, still teasing. "I want to hear more."

"I want - I want your mouth taking me all the way down your throat." Steve needed to feel something other than the air. "I want to fuck your mouth and make you drink my come; I want you to suck me until my balls are empty." He reached down and began to pet Danny's hair. "And when you're done I want your cock in my tight hole, fucking me, slowly at first, than faster - harder."

"What was that?" Danny heard his own voice and it was squeaking. 

"What's the matter, Danny-boy? Don't tell me nobody ever talked dirty to you." He cupped Danny's chin and ran his thumb over the lower lip. "C'mon, do it."

Not moving his eyes from Steve's, Danny worked the head of Steve's cock, drawing out the first drops of pre-come. "Keep going." Steve tangled his fingers in Danny's hair, pushing his mouth down, Danny's mouth opening to take him in. "That's it, Danno, just like that." He watched his cock disappear into the depth of Danny's mouth, feeling the wet heat surrounding him. Once he realized he had the control he wanted, he lifted Danny's head and pushed it back down, until Danny was deep-throating him. "Oh yeah, you suck cock like a pro." He fucked Danny's mouth and when Danny grazed his teeth along the length, Steve groaned. "You're gonna kill me here, baby." When Danny's tongue began to play alongside his teeth, Steve bit his lip and fought back a shriek. 

Danny felt around the bed, finally finding the lube. He managed to open it, squeezing some onto his fingers, and pushed one inside himself as his mouth continued to pleasure Steve. It wasn't enough for what he had planned and he moved a second one inside, and then dared to add a third, needing to open himself further - Steve's cock was not only long, it was thick. He had to yank his head from Steve's grasp and shifted to his knees.

"Why'd you stop?" Steve actually whimpered. "I'm so close, Danny, so very close."

"I know," Danny crooned, straddling Steve's body, "but there's something I want from you."

"Anything, Danny...oh God, anything." He noticed the open tube in Danny's hand. "What are you doing?"

"What I want; what I need - what we **both** want and need." Danny slicked Steve's cock. "You inside me." He balanced himself above Steve's hardness and held it steady as he impaled himself; he felt as if he was being split in two but he didn't stop. 

"Let me help." Steve held him by the hips and lowered him slow and gentle; he had to fight back his impending orgasm as Danny's tight ass surrounded him.

Danny sank down lower, forcing himself to relax. "Steve," he moaned, "so good inside me." His head lolled back as Steve filled him and he slid back and forth along Steve's cock, the pain fading.

Steve began to lift Danny up along his cock, pulling him down hard, slipping deeper with smooth strokes. "Danny-Danny-Danny...." It was a mantra on Steve's part; the only word he knew at that moment.

He was in Heaven.

But still it wasn't enough; part of Steve wanted to take possession and he couldn't do that in the position they were in. Forcing his upper body forward he pushed Danny back and hooked one leg over his shoulder. "Mine." The word was whispered, almost guttural, and Steve thrust inside, holding himself there, reveling in the heat. He quickly picked up the pace, his eyes on his cock, watching it slide in and out of Danny's hole.

Danny, for his part, was in his own little world; there was nothing but Steve. Not just Steve's cock inside him, but Steve himself - Steve, who loved him, who was making love to him. He was going to burst, but Steve apparently knew it also. Danny felt the fist on his cock, pumping him hard, and then the voice, soft as velvet now -

"Come for me, Danno, only me."

Danny began to spurt all over Steve's hand - this was what an orgasm should feel like. Intense and all-consuming; burning into his very being. His come was spraying them and he wanted to shout Steve's name, but all that came out was a soft moan.

Steve didn't let up, he was still going at it like wildfire. The sight of Danny coming made him pound harder, until his balls were going to explode. He threw his head back, gritting his teeth and let loose with a primal scream as he finally came. 

Danny's leg slipped from Steve's shoulder and he caught his breath. "That was amazing." 

"I aim to please," Steve grinned as he slipped out of the warmth that was Danny's ass and stretched up for a quick kiss. "And you're not so bad yourself." He was about to go for another one when the house phone rang. Steve stared at it for a moment and then picked it up. "Hello." Pause. "No, all is fine here." Another pause. "Uh, it was the TV." He hung up and smirked at Danny. "The front desk received a call that there was somebody being murdered in here."

"Next time you get a gag." Danny found himself laughing. "You're pretty loud, McGarrett."

"And you love every minute of it, Danno." Steve went for Danny's mouth again, but found his lips hitting the air as Danny slid off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Figuring his partner was getting a cloth, he lay back down, but when Danny didn't come out after a few minutes, Steve went in.

Danny was staring at himself in the mirror.

Steve took a cloth and cleaned himself, then wrapped his arms around Danny's body, resting his head on Danny's shoulder. "Danno, would you stop ragging on your looks?" 

"When did you become a mind-reader?"

"I don't need to read minds to know that face." Steve smiled thoughtfully at their reflections. "And besides that, I love **you** , no matter what you look like."

"No matter what I look like?" Danny's face took on a look of sadness. 

Steve laughed a little. "You're adorable and cute, you have amazing biceps and dreamy blue eyes, and you always make me smile. Who could ask for anything more?"

"Oh yeah?" Danny challenged. "How about when I'm old, have lost all my hair, gained 50 pounds and have false teeth?"

"I will love you even more." Steve turned him around and kissed him. "Looks can come and go, but I know that for as long as I have you, I'll be happy."

"You're a fucking sap."

"Tell anyone," Steve kissed his right cheek, "and I swear," a peck on the left, "they will never find the body." He rested his forehead against Danny's. "I really do love you, Danno."

"I know." Danny smiled up at him. "And if you want, you can have the right side tonight."

"The right side is yours." Steve left the bathroom with Danny behind him, and as they settled in for the night, with Danny holding Steve and Steve's head resting on his chest, he wondered how Danny **really** felt. Yes, he was in love with Danny, and he had mentioned it more than a few times, but Danny hadn't returned the sentiment, and Steve so needed to hear the words.

"I can hear you thinking," Danny murmured. "What's on your mind?"

"Do you love me, Danny?"

"More than malasadas, McGarrett, but not more than Peppermint Patties."

"Then say it," Steve told him. "I want to hear you say the words."

"I didn't, did I?" Danny tilted Steve's head up for a kiss. "I love you, Steven."

Steve felt his cock twitch. "Oh God, Danny, every time you call me 'Steven' it gets me hard."

"I'm a crack detective and I figured that out...Steven." Danny reached out to turn off the light. "We'll explore that further in the morning, because I think we are both done for tonight."

"Looking forward to it." Steve snuggled close, feeling truly happy for the first time in a long time.

"So am I." Danny lay awake for quite some time, just watching Steve sleep. He didn't know his heart could feel whole again, and all it took was one crazy-ass Navy SEAL to prove him wrong.

**~~~~~~~~**

**_ Sunday Morning - This is your wake-up call _ **

Danny slowly woke and reached to the left side of the bed, but it was empty. "Steve?"

"Good morning, Danny." Steve came out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well." Danny went in and took a few minutes for his morning ablutions, came out, lay back down, stretched and groaned. "I think I'm a little sore from our - activities - yesterday."

"Just a sec'." Steve went back in and came out with a bottle. "Massage oil."

"Where did you get massage oil?"

"The bathroom," Steve told him. "Now roll over and I'll make things all better."

"I don't wanna know." Danny moved onto his stomach. "You make anything worse...."

"I won't." Steve dropped his towel and sat atop Danny's legs. "Trust me." He opened the bottle and warmed some between his palms. "I know what I'm doing."

"I've heard that from you before, usually before an explosion." Danny sniffed the air. "Vanilla?"

"Scented and flavored."

"I **really** don't want to know."

"Good, because I'm not telling." Steve started on Danny's neck, two fingers gently caressing the nape. He moved his hand to the right shoulder and then to the left, feeling the tenseness. "You are one big ball of knots, Danny." He began to use both hands to loosen the muscles. 

"Danno," Danny murmured. "I like it better."

"Oh you do, huh?" More oil warmed between his palms and Steve began to work at Danny's upper back. "Is this okay."

"Yeah, just fine." Danny moaned softly, pillowing his head in his arms. "They teach you this in the Navy?"

"You finally got it right."

"A moment of weakness," Danny laughed, "and it will never happen again."

"If you must know, I worked as a masseuse during an undercover op with the CIA."

"And what else did you do in the CIA?"

Steve moved his fingers to the middle and rubbed a little deeper. "Things I'm not proud of, Danno; things I don't want you to ever know." He slid his body a little further down so he had more room to massage Danny's lower back.

"You were an assassin," Danny stated. "I figured that one out for myself."

"Please don't ask me about those days, Danno." Steve palmed Danny's ass, caressing with hard strokes. "I can't talk about them."

"Yeah, yeah, Steve, I know, if you tell me you have to kill me, etcetera." Danny's cock was grinding against the mattress as Steve dug his fingertips into the solid flesh.

"Anything you want to know, baby, just ask, and I'll answer you." Steve's talented hands rubbed down Danny's left leg. "It's not that I **can't** ; it just hurts to talk about the past."

"Then I won't ask - and yeah, that feels good - but I am curious to know when you found your conscience."

"The day some wise-ass cop punched me in the jaw and loosened one of my teeth." Steve worked on the right leg. "And I should have sent you the bill for the cap." 

"I can't afford it." Danny smiled to himself. "You know what I earn."

Steve slapped Danny's ass playfully. "Turn over so I can finish."

"I'm fine the way I am." Danny was comfortable; he really didn't want to move.

"I'm not." Steve had to force him over. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah, not only was there the cap, but you owe me at least two bags of Peppermint Patties."

"I'll get my wallet." 

"Forget that; how about I just take it out in trade?" Steve slid his hands down Danny's chest, rolling each nipple between his fingers. "That okay with you, Danno?" As his hands moved down Danny's stomach, Danny began to giggle. "Ticklish?" He purposely stroked Danny's sides, hearing more laughter. 

"Stop." Danny tried to push Steve's hands away. "You're a sadist."

"I like to hear you laugh." Steve's fingers did move though, digging into Danny's hips; Danny's body arched off the bed. "I'm going to assume you're **not** ticklish there."

"God no." Danny reached forward, running a palm down Steve's chest. "I'm feeling better already."

"I just bet you are." Steve placed his palms on the sides of Danny's cock, teasing it with languid strokes. "I want you." 

"You want me?" Danny once again thought he misunderstood. "For what?"

Steve moved and lay on his stomach. "Figure it out."

Danny let that sink in for a moment. "You'd let me - to you?"

"Equals, Danno." Steve brought Danny's hand to his mouth, kissing the palm. "You want me, don't you?"

"OHGODYES!"

"I'll take that as a maybe," Steve snorted.

Danny spread Steve's legs and knelt between them. "What's your pleasure, Steven?"

"Anything you do, Danno, will be my favorite thing from now on." Steve turned his head and blew Danny a kiss. " **Anything** ".

Danny plastered himself over Steve, kissing his right shoulder, licking a path across to his left, biting down so hard he left teeth marks. His lips trailed down Steve's back, pausing to leave a bite on each hip. "My own personal play toy." Danny's tongue licked circles along Steve's lower back, until his mouth found its way to Steve's ass. "Now what should I do with this?" He bit each cheek, hoping to get a rise out of Steve, but the SEAL was just lying there, softly moaning. Danny grabbed Steve's ass and kneaded the cheeks, pulling them apart, placing a kiss to the center. 

"Danny, what are you doing?"

"You said anything." Danny swiped his tongue along the crack. "That's what I'm doing." He pushed his tongue inside as his nails dug into Steve's flesh. 

"OH FUCK!" Steve gripped the headboard slats.

"I'm getting there." Danny lapped at Steve's hole. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

In answer to that, Steve tore out one of the slats.

" **I'll** take that as a yes." Danny slid his hands under Steve as he continued the rimming, easing him to his knees. "Where's the lube?"

"Just do it, Danno," Steve gasped. "Fuck me."

"No way, babe; I am not sandpapering my dick." 

"Use the oil." Steve reached out blindly and found it, handing it to him. "I can't wait anymore." He arched his ass in the air, presenting himself to Danny. "Inside me - **now**."

Danny slicked his cock. "Pushy bottom, aren't you?"

"I swear, Danno, if you don't do something, I'm gonna get myself off."

"Shh, I won't make you wait." Danny eased inside. "I'm going to make love to you, like you deserve." Steve was tight, like a vise, clenching his ass as if keeping Danny out. "Take it easy; you act as if you've never received before." 

Steve grunted.

Danny, of course, was able to translate. "Never?"

Another grunt.

"Because you need me."

A sigh.

"Because you trust me."

A purr.

"Because you love me."

"Mmm-hmm," Steve moaned in the affirmative, reaching back to take Danny's hand in his and squeezing it. 

Danny felt Steve dragging him further in, shifting backwards, helping Danny bury himself. And Danny was gentle and slow, telling Steve how beautiful he was and how much he was loved.

Steve was in a new realm of pleasure; it was intoxicating hearing Danny's voice like that, the breathy sighs as Danny rested his balls against Steve's ass, rolling his hips, brushing Steve's prostate. "Danny, oh God, I...." Steve's words stuck in his throat as the hand slid under him and gripped his dick, stroking in time with the thrusting in his ass.

Danny slid in further, savoring each moan wrung from his lover.

"Feels so right. Don't stop Danny - please...."

"I won't." 

Steve turned his head and the sight almost drove him right over the edge. Danny's eyes were closed, clearly focused on the pleasure he was giving Steve. 

Danny nearly got thrown off as Steve's body jerked wildly, pulling Danny even deeper, his muscles contracting tighter.

Danny had to dig his fingers into Steve's waist to hold him steady. "Relax, Steve; I've got you." Kisses along Steve's spine. "I love you." One hand slid between them, as Danny ran his fingers over the tip of Steve's cock, grasping the base, pumping hard. "I'm coming - inside you." One final thrust and Steve exploded in his hand, sending Danny toppling into an abyss of pleasure as his orgasm exploded and he filled Steve. It took him a few minutes to move, he really didn't want to, but when he did, he fell onto his back, gasping for breath. "So, Commander, was it good for you?"

Steve didn't have words yet, all he could do was grin stupidly. But his grin faded after a couple of minutes and his eyes moved down.

"You're thinking again," Danny said, lifting Steve's face up. "Talk to me."

"How many have there been, Danny?" Steve asked quietly. 

It took Danny a moment to figure out what Steve meant. "I don't know why you're asking that, but I could just as soon ask you the same thing." He thought that would end it, but he was wrong.

"Fine," Steve answered, "one."

"One?" Danny knew. "Nick." He framed Steve's face and kissed him softly. "None that mattered. They were - they didn't matter; only you do."

"And tomorrow, Danny?" Steve stared into his eyes, so needing to know. "What happens tomorrow?"

"And I thought I had relationship issues." Danny laughed out loud, he couldn't help himself. "I told you I loved you, Aquaman, and you're stuck with me, 'til death do us part." His mind wandered for a moment. "Now all we have to do is tell...."

Steve interrupted him. "Grace already knows; she stopped just short of asking me if we were sleeping together."

"Excuse me? She what?"

Steve recounted the conversation with Grace. "I think she knew before we did."

"Smart kid, just like her Danno."

"Danny, do you think - would you move in with me?"

"If you tell me where you hide the Twinkies and let me leave crumbs on the kitchen table."

"In the pantry, in the box that says 'Granola Bars', but I can't promise anything about crumbs."

"I guess I'll have to deal with that." Danny kissed him again, and then went to get a wet cloth. While he was in the bathroom his phone vibrated and Steve, recognizing the number, picked it up.

"Hey, Doc, what are you doing calling on a Sunday?"

 _"I wanted to check on the diet, and for the two of you, I work Sundays, because that's the only time I know for sure I can get to you. And why are you answering Danny's phone?"_ Phipps asked.

"It was ringing so I picked it up," Steve replied. "And about the diet, I'm sure it was supposed to be healthy, but Doc, it was a bit extreme, wasn't it?" 

_"The diet was important, Steve, considering the test results I got back."_

"About that," Steve remembered, "you told me all was well."

_"It is, for you and Danny both, but some of his bloodwork, like the cholesterol, came back a bit high - that was why I told him to stick with that diet for a while."_

Steve held the phone away from his ear for a moment, thinking about the weekend, and then he spoke again. "Danny's diet, the one that said oatmeal and fruit cup, no caffeine, broiled salmon - that diet?" He felt the vein in his temple begin to throb - the one that he had specifically labeled 'Danny-Related Stress'. "Of course, yes, he stuck to it and I intend to make sure he follows it through for the next month or longer." Steve hung up and he was tempted to spank Danny's ass red in punishment. But he would wait until they got home - to their house. Oh yeah, he now had two reasons to be happy Danny was moving in with him: One, so that the two of them could have hot and sweaty sex daily - twice, if possible - and two, so that Steve could **closely** monitor Danny's diet. And if he were honest with himself, and great as the sex had been and would be in the future, Steve was unsure which one would give him more satisfaction right now.

Danny tossed Steve a cloth as he rejoined him, worried about the smirk on Steve's face. "What did I miss?"

"I was just enlightened about my diet." 

"By whom?"

"Oh, you know, our doctor, who calls on a Sunday to check up on us."

"Phipps called?"

"Apparently one of us did have high cholesterol and it wasn't me." Steve narrowed his eyes, but there was mirth within them. "I told him that you would stick to the diet for a month at least."

"I know, and I'm sorry, Steve, I really am, and I'll make it up to you."

Steve felt for him; he knew how much Danny liked to eat junk food. "I'll cut a deal with you, Danno - I won't tell Phipps, or make you stick to that diet, as long as your next batch of test results shows improvement."

"Okay, I promise to watch what I eat, which won't be so hard considering all the healthy shit you have in your house - the Twinkies and Pop-Tarts being the exceptions of course." Danny looked around the room. "We have to check out soon."

" **Our** house, Danno." Steve dragged himself out of bed. "And because I love you, I will let you steer the boat home."

"You'll let me drive the boat?"

"Danno, you can steer a boat, sail it, pilot or operate it, even row it, but you don't **drive** it."

"Semantics," Danny rolled his eyes. "And while we're on the subject of your boat - or should I say **our** boat - why doesn't it have a name? Isn't that a rule or something?"

"I never got around to it." Steve got dressed and threw his things in the suitcase, giving a death glare to his new suit. "I am never wearing this again, and you can have the tie."

"You'll wear it," Danny told him as he put his own clothing on.

"No I won't."

"Okay, you won't." 

"I said I won't."

"And I agreed with you."

"I'm not wearing it ever again, Danny." 

"So you keep repeating." Danny packed his things up. "It's not like I could force you to put it on."

"Damn straight!"

'You just keep thinking that Steve,' Danny chuckled to himself, knowing Steve would wear the suit again if Danny told him to.

Oh yeah, Danny really did know his partner better than Steve knew himself.

**~~~~~~~~**

They stood at the check-out desk and were greeted to the sight of the manager being removed by two men who were in military uniform.

"I'll get you for this, McGarrett!" He shouted. "When I get back from the Northern Tundra I will have my revenge!"

"You had him reactivated?" Danny asked, clearly impressed.

"How in the world could I have the man reactivated?" Steve was the picture of innocence. "I'm just a SEAL, remember?"

"Remind me to stay on your good side."

**~~~~~~~~**

**_ Sunday Night - Home, Sweet, Home _ **

Pat Jameson was fuming and as she approached Steve's door she had to force herself to remember that she was the Governor. The reports she had gotten from the convention had made her blood boil.

Steve telling the insane story about drug dealers and zoo animals (all right, so she had found it mildly hysterical when it happened, but not now); dangling suspects off of rooftops and throwing them into shark tanks; tee-shirts and jeans at an official dinner; non-participation for the Sunday morning convention closing. Then there were her two favorites - both Danny and Steve getting into fistfights - separate fights. For some reason she would have found it more understandable if they had been in the fights together. 

Hearing the loud knocking, Steve came out of the kitchen, picking up his gun. It was late, and whoever was at his door could be trouble. He was cautious as he opened it, lowering the barrel as he saw who was there. "Hi, Pat, what brings you here at this late hour?"

"I'm here as the Governor, you pea-brained blockhead!" She shoved the door open and Steve stumbled backwards. "I received a phone call a little while ago from a Captain Martin Johannsen from Arizona, who gave me a rundown of this weekend's activities - all of them." She stepped forward, Steve stepped back. "Apparently the leader of my task force and his number two, and you can take that title anyway you want, both need intensive psychiatric therapy."

"I can explain," Steve said quickly. "Really I can."

Pat folded her arms and tapped her foot, waiting. "Well, go on - I can't wait to hear this one."

"It's a long story and I - it started - one room and - and...." Steve was stammering; he had no idea where to begin.

Danny came downstairs, not seeing her, and walked right over to Steve, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling his lips close. "Is dinner ready, babe?" He kissed Steve deeply, sighing as he released Steve's mouth. "Or do you want to tie me to a chair next?"

"Uh, Danny...."

"Not that I minded being tied to the bed - and by the way you don't have to tie me up to spank me - but a chair could be fun." Danny leered at him. "You could sit in my lap and ride my dick while I jerk you off."

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose, cheeks turning pink. "Danny, now is not the time...."

Once again Danny interrupted him. "It's always the time for you to have your kinky way with me." Danny palmed Steve's crotch. "How about I suck your brains out through your cock and turn your mind to mush?"

"My God, It's a porno movie come-to-life," she laughed.

Danny froze, staring up at Steve."Please tell me that's not the Governor."

"Okay, Danno," Steve grinned, "I won't."

"Is this what caused you to get into a fight with a few police officers, Detective Williams?" She asked, giving him a look that made Danny cringe in fear - and hide behind Steve. "And you also, Commander McGarrett?"

Danny felt like he was face-to-face with his mother. "No, well, not exactly. They made fun of Steve," he answered honestly, "and I had to defend his honor."

"Because you're - together," she nodded to them.

"No, that was before," Steve added, "and my little, uh, scuffle, was also before...sort of."

"I don't want to know." The Governor inhaled sharply and finally allowed herself a smile. "Jack McGarrett would have liked you, Danny."

"I think so, too." Steve pulled Danny into a kiss. "And if Governor Jameson would like to have dinner with us, we can tell her all about the weekend."

"Then let's consider this evening unofficial, Steve, and I'll just be plain Pat," she told him. "Now get out the beer, because I am ready to hear it all."

**~~~~~~~~**

**_ Monday, Tuesday, Etc.... _ **

On Monday morning Steve and Danny made it to the office around 10.

Steve greeted Chin and Kono with a huge grin. "And how was your weekend?" He asked them, not waiting for an answer as he added, "Mine was amazing."

Chin gave him a funny look. "Amazing? I've been to those conferences and they were anything but."

"That's because you didn't have Danny with you." 

"I'm honored, McGarrett," Danny laughed.

Steve poured himself a cup of coffee. "Jamaica or Kenya?"

"Neither," Kono replied with a small shrug, "French Roast."

Steve turned to Danny. "From France, I assume."

"I didn't order it." Danny sipped at the mug Kono handed him. "Nice choice."

Steve's eyes moved over his team one at a time. "Do all of you forge my signature?"

"I have to get these papers to HPD." Chin fled, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to get away.

"I would never do anything like that." Kono swallowed hard. "I - I," she pointed at Danny. "He made me do it!"

"Uh-huh," Steve nodded in disbelief.

"And he - he made me order that Gucci bag and those Manolo shoes for our next undercover op," she added quickly. 

"What?" Steve's eyes widened. "Gucci and Manolo?"

"Did I say Gucci and Manolo?" Kono laughed nervously. "No, I didn't. And - and I have a report to deliver also - somewhere." She picked up a stack of papers and followed Chin.

Steve turned to Danny. "You...." His phone rang. "It's the Governor." He picked it up. "Governor, good morning, and how are - now? Yes ma'am, what about?" Steve listened for a few minutes, slowly raising his eyes to glare at Danny. "You want to discuss some requisition forms? And my salary? I'll be there shortly." He hung up, ready to strangle his partner, but Danny was halfway out of the office. "I know you don't have any reports to go anywhere."

"We need gas in the car and I'm taking Grace to lunch." Danny was gone, following his teammates.

"She's in school!" Steve screamed after him, muttering, "I'm in deep shit and I'm the only one that didn't order anything."

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve returned at 2:15, finding his team playing poker in the conference room. His eyes met Kono's first. "You get to keep the Gucci and the Manolo's, but I'm adding the surfboard to my collection," he told her, then turned to Chin with a smirk. "The iPad is mine, and if you open your mouth to protest, you'll be picking up garbage on the beach for a week." Last was Danny. "The Hugo Boss gets to stay as part of your wardrobe, but your salary will be attached until it is paid in full. And lastly," Steve nodded across the room, "the DVR is coming home with me - and Danno, I'm putting a password on it so you can't use it."

"How am I supposed to pay my rent?" Danny wanted to know.

"You're moving in with me, so rent is a moot point."

"Moving in together?" Kono asked. "Did I miss the wedding?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Chin added. "I need to req, I mean buy, a new suit."

"No, you didn't miss a wedding," Steve answered matter-of-factly, "and any requisition forms are to be signed by my actual signature; I mean that."

"Whatever," Danny nodded and picked up a pen, looking over a form. "Kono, you spelled Ferragamo wrong." He corrected it and wrote some more. "You didn't need that iPad, Chin; the series 2 just came out and I hear its better."

"Didn't I just say that I would sign all the forms?" Steve was gritting his teeth. "They will be done properly from now on."

Danny ignored him and kept writing. "Since we are losing our current DVR, we'll get a new one with a larger memory, and I think we'll trade in that 32 inch screen for a 40; we spend more time here then we do elsewhere."

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Steve reiterated. "I am in charge here and I sign my name, not you."

"Fine." Danny placed the form in front of him and handed him the pen. "Sign here," he pointed and Steve signed, "here," signature number two, "and initial here." He snatched the paper away. "Thank you." Danny handed the form to Chin. "Make sure that gets to Supply and tell them we want a rush on it, and then take the rest of the day off to spend with Malia."

"What did I just order?" Steve wanted to know. "I didn't get a chance to read it."

"You're getting a new phone and that's all you need to know." 

"What kind of phone, Danno?" Steve asked with a hopeful look. 

"The kind that makes a call." Danny went to his office to do actual paperwork.

"I'm going surfing," Kono said to Steve.

"Its 2:30 and you're on duty."

"Danny said that since we have no cases, I could have the afternoon off to spend with Ben. Later, boss."

Steve leaned against the doorframe to Danny's office. "I have nothing to do."

"Go play Pac-Man; I have to finish up this report on that homicide last week."

"I'm in charge of the Governor's task force; I can't play video games while on duty." Danny just shrugged and Steve caved. "Where's the nearest arcade?"

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Danny pointed across the room. "We have a game right there."

Steve turned to see a full-sized Pac-Man arcade game against the wall. "Where did that come from?"

"It was delivered while you were out, so go practice if you want a rematch." Danny went back to his report. "And Galaxian is on order."

Knowing he had lost the argument before it even started, Steve just murmured, "Okay," and went to play.

Once Danny was finished he walked over to Steve, finding it humorous that his partner, who had super-human hearing, was so involved with the game he didn't even hear him. He slid his arms around Steve's waist, said, "Gotcha!" and found himself facing a not-so-happy Steve.

"All I needed was three more pellets and I would have had the high score; thanks a lot, Danny."

"It's only a game, Steve," Danny said.

"Since that's the way you feel...." Steve knelt down and unplugged it.

"Hey! I put a high score on there while you were at the Governor's!"

"It's **only** a game." Danny looked so forlorn that Steve felt bad. "I'll make it up to you, Danny, with a blow-job in the shower."

"And I get to bottom tonight."

"No, I'm on the bottom!"

"You wiped out my high score!"

"Okay, I'll top, but only because you're being mopey."

"I'm not being mopey."

"Yes you are, Danno, and you're sexy when you mope." Steve backed Danny into his office, kicked the door closed, lowered the blinds and locked it. "I love you when you're moping; it turns me on."

Danny leaned against the desk, eyes raking up and down Steve's body. "You said you got turned on when I drink coffee, which is the reason we were late this morning."

"I do, and also when you eat waffles," Steve licked his upper lip, "when you wash dishes," he chewed the lower lip, "when you take out the trash...." Steve was interrupted by Danny's phone vibrating. "Tell them we're busy." He groped Danny's crotch. "Working on a case." He kissed Danny's neck. "Let your voice mail get it."

"It might be important." Danny took his phone out. "Life-threatening." He stole a glance at the display and pushed Steve away.

Steve couldn't figure it out, until he saw the huge grin split Danny's face, followed by, "Hi, sweetie." Okay, for Grace he would wait to get laid. That was followed by, "I would love to have dinner with you and your Mom." Steve didn't look happy about that, and Danny noticed, quickly adding, "And Steve's going to join us. We'll see you shortly."

Danny hung up and stole a quick kiss. "Grace wants to have an early dinner, and Stan is out of town so she wants to bring Rachel, and I am bringing you."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Danno?"

"Trust me, it'll be fine."

True to his word, Danny was right.

Grace smirked throughout the meal and Rachel couldn't have cared less.

When the check came, Danny gawked at the total and handed it to Steve. "You make more money than I do."

"Uh, Danno...."

"You don't have your wallet, do you?"

"Uncle Steve never has his wallet," Grace said, quickly adding, "and Dad says its selective memory or early senility, but he hasn't decided which."

"I think I can take care of this." Rachel took the check. "And when you decide on a wedding date, let me know, as my sister is a wedding coordinator; she's always liked Danny also, so I am sure she will discount you."

"Marriage, huh?" Steve smiled at Danny.

"No - absolutely not." Danny stated emphatically. "Uh-uh, no way, no how." He stood up and took Grace by the hand. "You and I are going to have a talk."

"He'll give in," Rachel told Steve. 

"I know he will," Steve laughed, "because he doesn't stand a chance against Gracie."

**~~~~~~~~**

Tuesday was quiet and the morning was spent rearranging office furniture, and then Governor Jameson arrived unannounced with two Congressmen who had numerous questions about 5-0's expenditures.

Steve suddenly remembered he had a meeting with an Admiral at Pearl and had to leave immediately.

"And I have to go with him because - because I was there!" Chin piped up. "And so was Detective Kalakaua." He motioned Kono to follow, which she did without hesitation.

That left Danny, who fielded every question like a professional - a professional liar. He came up with a story for every penny spent, even the video games. "That was a mistake, and I'm not sure how we got them. I'm sure somebody in supply either read the requisition wrong or has a strange sense of humor." He even had explanations for the coffee - "We believed that the Jamaican coffee beans were a front for drug dealers and that the Kenyan beans were from a company known for ivory smuggling and selling it here."

The Congressmen left and the Governor praised Danny and advised him that he was getting a nice raise for his quick thinking - it got her off the hook.

**~~~~~~~~**

Wednesday morning was a bank robbery and among the hostages were two 4-star Generals. Due to that fact, the army was sending a Ranger team in, and they would arrive by 11.

Steve refused to wait, and jumped at the chance for **his** team to take care of it before then.

The task force did just that, by 10:45, although Danny and Chin did have to practically drag Steve away when he began to rant it was now a fact that "SEALs are better than Pussy-Ass Rangers!"

Reports were beginning to get done, but then Steve seemingly vanished at 12:30.

Danny hadn't noticed him leaving and with prodding, got Chin to locate him via the GPS.

**~~~~~~~~**

Steve sat opposite Rusti the orangutan and he opened a paper bag. "I brought you peanut butter today, and for me, turkey." 

The orangutan grinned at him.

"And this time I remembered you like grape jelly." Steve managed to avoid the grabby paws. "I have to take it out of the baggie; no plastic allowed, remember?" He slapped the paws away for a second time. "I swear, you're worse than Danny when he's hungry." He was careful to stuff the baggies in his back pocket.

A shriek as Rusti got a look at a second paper bag. 

"Yeah, I know." Steve took out two bottles of Gatorade. "I brought you the fruit one today; Alice said I wasn't allowed to bring you another Longboard because you got sick from it."

Rusti grunted again, snatching the bottle.

"That one's mine!" Steve grabbed it back. "You are definitely worse than Danny." He unscrewed the lid of the other bottle and handed it over. "Be civilized."

"Now isn't that the pot calling the kettle black," Danny said from behind him. "And why are you here?" 

"I eat lunch here every Wednesday, I thought you knew, and what are you doing here? And how did you get here?"

"I couldn't find you, so I had Chin locate my car, and then hitched a ride with HPD." 

"That does it; the GPS is getting ripped out of the Camaro."

"I missed you." 

"You just saw me." Steve leaned forward.

"I still missed you." Danny met him in a deep kiss, pulling back with a smile. 

"Did the boss give you permission to leave the office?" Steve asked half-heartedly.

"Yeah," Danny nodded, "after he signed my requisition form for a pair of Cesare Paciotti shoes."

"WHAT?!"

"Just kidding, **boss** ," Danny smiled and sat down. "So, you and the monkey...."

Rusti actually growled at Danny.

"He's an orangutan, Danny, not a monkey," Steve pointed out, nodding to Rusti. "You insulted him, now apologize."

"I'm not giving a **monkey** an apology." Danny nodded firmly. "And aren't you supposed to be supervised here?"

"Hi, Danno," Grace said, climbing into his lap and giving him a hug and kiss. 

"What did you do?" Danny's head whipped from Grace to Steve and back again. "Kidnap my daughter from school?"

"Half a day," Grace looked up at him, "and Mom said Steve could bring me." She grinned at the orangutan. "Hi, Rusti! Howzit?" Rusti gave her a piece of his sandwich. "Why thank you."

"You can't take food from a monkey!" Danny snapped, sputtering as he found himself with a face full of Gatorade. 

Steve cracked up and handed Danny some napkins.

"Orangutan, Dad," Grace reminded him, "from the family _Hominidae_ , subfamily _Ponginae_ , genus _Pongo_." She glanced down at her feet for a moment.

Danny's eyes followed and he reached for his gun. "Grace, don't move."

Grace just smiled. "Hello, Algernon." She lifted up the top half of a massive python and smiled at Danny. "This is Algernon; he's a Burmese Python."

"It's a fucking snake!" Danny shouted.

"Language, Danno," Steve told him, "and he likes Gracie."

"We've made friends with lots of the animals." Grace looked up at Alice, the zookeeper. "Can I help Larry feed him?"

"No Grace, his diet...."

Grace interrupted her. "I know; he eats live food."

"Knowing that," the zookeeper explained, handing off the python to a younger man, "and seeing it are two different things."

"Okay. Can I read to Rusti now?"

"I think he'd like that," Alice told her.

Grace situated herself beside Rusti and when he grabbed the book and tried to stuff it in his mouth, she shook her head and snatched it back. "We don't eat books, remember?" Rusti pouted and tilted his head at her, putting his hands under his legs. "Much better. Now," Grace opened the book, " _If I ran the zoo_ by Dr. Seuss; it's a personal favorite and Danno used to read it to me." 

"I did," Danny nodded, "and my mother used to read it to me."

"Me, too, Danno," Steve said, finishing his sandwich. "The animals all like her."

"People like that are hard to find," Alice explained. "They have an instinct, and they almost never have a fear of animals."

"I don't have any, either," Danny said, watching his daughter. 

"I figured that out the first time you were here, Danny," she said, "and Jasper the porcupine didn't raise his quills when you touched him. And if you boys would like, you can both help feed today."

"Can I feed the vultures?" Steve asked eagerly. "Please?"

"All right, Steve, but don't...." 

"Yes!" Steve punched his fist into the air and took off at a jog.

"Vultures?" Danny half-laughed. "Sometimes I wonder about him - and worry."

"At least **I** don't have to worry he's going to try and kidnap one, like he did with a wolf last week." Alice sighed heavily. "He nearly got away with it also, telling the security guard he required it for a case that your task force was working on."

"A wolf? It figures."

"Yes, and prior to that a small bear, a meerkat, a dik-dik, and an orphaned hyena cub. It's a good thing I keep an eye on him." She narrowed her eyes at Danny. "Why don't you get him a pet?"

"Chin, Kono, and I tried that in the past, with what should have been easy-to-care-for creatures," Danny explained. "We bought him a variety of tropical fish; he added one of his own, not knowing it fed on other tropical fish, and then forgot to feed it - I found it floating one afternoon and had to flush it. He didn't close the finch's cage and the neighbor's cat had a nice meal. The hamsters multiplied faster than the speed of light, as did the guinea pigs, and I will not, under any circumstances, discuss the turtles. No, the safest place for Steve and animals is here."

"And since you are here, Danny, we could use some help in the petting zoo."

"That's for me," Danny smiled. "Nice and quiet."

**~~~~~~~~**

At 4pm Steve and Danny met up on their way to get Grace, but as they passed the animal hospital, Steve's breath hitched.

"Steve, you never did answer me as to why you threw up the day we brought Rusti in. I know you love animals, but still."

"They were - Danny, they were performing an autopsy."

"Yeah, and?" Danny prompted. "You've seen those before. Last time we were in the morgue you sat with Max and ate a sandwich while he cut open a corpse; **I** nearly got sick after listening to all your sarcastic remarks about the organs in between bites."

"But Danny, they were doing one on Bambi," Steve whined. 

"You lost your cookies because they were slicing open a deer?"

Steve nodded in silence.

"You bawled at that movie, didn't you?" Steve's continued silence answered him. "I'm still screwy from it."

"I know," Steve agreed. "When Bambi's mother dies...."

"No, not from that, from the fact that Bambi's a guy," Danny clarified. "Did you ever meet a guy named 'Bambi'?"

"You eat venison, don't you?" Steve asked accusingly.

"Maybe - once - or twice." Danny looked guilty. 

"You ate Bambi?"

"You eat Elsie the cow."

"That's different, Danny, this is - Bambi."

"Steve, I think we should stop now, before the conversation degenerates." And Danny knew it would, that within minutes they'd be arguing over eating bacon and ham. And as soon as he could, and before he officially moved, Danny was going to get back to his apartment and trash the packages of venison in his freezer.

"Please tell me you don't eat Thumper."

"No, of course not," Danny chuckled, making a mental note to get rid of the frozen rabbit also.

"Good, because Grace would never forgive you." 

Danny flushed pink.

"Rabbit too?!"

"I'll never eat either again, Steve, I swear on my mother's grave."

"Danno, your mother's not dead," Steve pointed out.

"Uh, my father's?"

"I talked to him last night and he said all four of your grandparents say hello."

"How about Aunt Minnie, my favorite aunt, who's been gone a little more than a year?"

Steve considered that. "Okay, Aunt Minnie it is."

Danny only hoped Steve didn't find out Minnie was gone to prison for grand larceny and not the great beyond.

**~~~~~~~~**

Thursday and Friday was a kidnapping that had a happy ending, and on Saturday morning Danny left to pick up his daughter and they met Steve at the dock. 

They found Steve, Chin and Kono all nestled together and when they moved, they saw the lettering along the stern - Steve had finally named the boat.

"Welcome aboard the _**Amazing Grace**_."

"WAAAAY COOL!" Grace shrieked, jumping into Steve's arms. "I love you, Step-Steve!"

"I thought I was Super-Steve?"

"I like Step-Steve better." She hugged him tightly. "You're the bestest!"

"I knew that," Steve said proudly.

"So did I," Danny added, giving his lover a kiss. "Most definitely the bestest."

**FIN**


End file.
